BE,S 4: Paint Me a Christmas Memory
by cpneb
Summary: They have visited Joss' mother, and they have some time before Christmas: what happens to all of them touches DC, the airline passengers, Montana, and Middleton: next, in Paint Me a Christmas Memory.
1. Chapter 1 – Last Christmas…

Blue Eyes, Shining 4: Paint Me a Christmas Memory

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time). This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

The night is over, and a new day dawns for Joss, Wade, Rachel, Ryan ….and especially for Betty and Slim! And, Joss slept through almost all of it! A mild tissue requirement watch (as opposed to a warning), because they all remember last year, and it's canceled out by this year, in this first chapter of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory - 12/20: Last Christmas….**

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

- - - - - - -

**Chapter 1 – 12/20: Last Christmas….**

- - - - - - -

Wade's PosComm kept playing 'All I Want for Christmas is You,' but when the sensors recognized no further motion in the room for the last 15 minutes it lowered the volume to a much softer background and switched to a music mix. It played all night long, accompanying the soft gurgles of sleeping geniuses, and then turned itself off when it recognized the beginnings of morning stirrings…but not soon enough.

- - - - - - -

Joss was relaxing by the side of the swimming hole, her top strategically attached enough so she could tan her entire back and tight enough so that no unexplained surprises would happen.

She turned her head over and saw Wade stretched out on the sand, and she smiled.

"Workin' on your tan, Wade?" and she giggled as he turned his palms face-up.

"Waiting for you to wake up, my love," and he started to fade away.

"WADE!" she called out.

"Last Christmas…"

"WADE!" she jumped up and ran over to him, but her hand passed thru him as he continued to fade away.

"Last Christmas…"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" and he faded to black...

- - - - - - -

"…I gave you my heart," and the music stopped when Joss raised her head suddenly.

'Where am I?

'Ah'm in the living area at our hotel.

'Ah'm on the couch, and there's a blanket converin' me.

'Whew! Ah still have mah clothes on under here.

'Wait? Where did the blanket come from?

'Where's Wade?

'There he is…awww, he's sleepin' under a blanket jus' like mine….Did my hero tuck me in when Ah fell asleep? God, I love him so.

'He's so cute when's he's asleep.

'Deep breath…WHEW! Either there's a polecat loose in heah, or Ah need a shower!

'Kin Ah do it without wakin' everybody, especially Wade?

'But Ah've got to kiss him just once like this.

'Up quietly, over to the hero, then a kiss on the cheek…BRANDED, mah hero; now, let's go git that shower….'

- - - - - - -

Betty rolled over and fell out of her bed with a thud!

'OWWWW!' Damn: that hurt…' and she remembered the night.

"YES!" she yelled from the floor, thrusting her arm up into the air.

"HE LOVES ME! HE LOVES ME! HE LOVES ME!

"THANK YOU, SHERI NICOLE!" Betty yelled, then looked around and found her watch on the floor.

6:13 AM.

"I wonder what he looks like at this time of the morning," Betty said to herself, then grinned wickedly.

"Like Tornado?" and she giggled as she stood up and stretched, and her robe fell off.

She looked down at the 'girls,' cupped them, and grinned.

"Not bad for a broad over 30," she said as she headed for the shower. "Wade, eat your heart out: these belong to Slim, now!"

- - - - - - -

Joss got to her 'bedroom' without waking Wade and she closed the door softly and locked it.

"No peekie, Wade," she giggled as she pulled off her socks and skirt, and then realized that she had no shoes.

'Where' mah boots?' They must still be out there; that means Wade pulled them off'n me.

'He's soo sweet: he didn't want mah feet to hurt….' And she unbuttoned her blouse and looked down.

'Is it enough for Wade? He's never complained when Ah hugged him,' she smiled and padded into the bathroom, turning on her PosComm to some Christmas music of her own.

She set the unit on the bathroom counter, turned on the water, finished undressing and stepped into the tub/shower combination. She reached out for a towel on the rack next to the toilet, and she started to sing:

(Chorus:)

Last Christmas, I was so all alone:

I had no one, to call my own.

This year, you came to me, love,

You were sent, to me, from a-bove, a-bove….

Never kissed, and tired of the dance;

I keep my distance but I still searched for ro-mance.

When you saw me, what did you think of me?

Were you as scare-d as scare-d could be?

You wrapped me up and tied up my heart

With roses saying "I Love You" for a start

Now I know what a fool I'd been

But if you kissed me now I'll get that feeling again

(Chorus:)

Last Christmas, I was so all alone:

I had no one, to call my own.

This year, you came to me, love,

You were sent, to me, from a-bove, a-bove….

A crowded room and friends with tired hearts and eyes

I'm trouble with them and their souls of fire and ice

My God I thought that they were friends to rely on

Me? I just wanted a shoulder to cry on

A face of a lover with a fire in his heart

A knight in Meezod armor, and you ripped de-mons apart

Oooh yeah, Oooh now what do I do?

Now I know that I've found you and I'll never lose you.

(Chorus:)

Last Christmas, I was so all alone:

I had no one, to call my own.

This year, you came to me, love,

You were sent, to me, from a-bove, a-bove….

- - - - - - -

Wade woke up groggily, looked over and saw that Joss was gone, then realized that he heard water running and singing.

'She's an early riser, and she sings in the shower,' he filed in the back of his mind, and then he recognized the tune.

'Last Christmas…

"I wasn't alone, I had my parents with me, but I was so lonely that I might as well have been alone,' he thought and remembered the time that seemed so long ago, now….

- - - - - - -

"It's just you and me, Lucky, in here," Wade said as he sat in his room on Christmas morning, once again.

"God, Big Sis, I miss you so much. I can't get out of here much, anymore," he said looking up into the ceiling.

"I miss you, Stephanie. It's just been this year that I could even say your name without breaking down; that's an improvement, right?

"How am I ever going to find someone like you to care about, who'll care about a big tan 13-year-old with a PhD who can't even play baseball or basketball?

"Even Kim and Ron get out; Ron's even got her to love, if he'd ever figure it out, or if she'd stop crushing on everybody cute who swims by her."

He pulled up the schematics of the battlesuit, then ran a few simulations using the overlay of the design with the patterns and pictures of Kim that he had.

"This should work," he mumbled to himself, then looked over in the corner and saw the stack of gifts that his Mom and Dad had brought in last night when they'd opened their presents to and from him in his room. He remembered the look that they'd had when he handed them the tickets, but he still felt sorry for his parents.

"They don't have a son, they have a body trapped in a room.

"I'd trade all of the presents, Kim, for one kiss from you, but I know that'll never happen.

"Stephanie, I'd trade everything: all my money, all my degrees, even my life, if I could have **just one more hug from you!**" Wade cried out, then dropped his head into his hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Then he suddenly glared up into the ceiling and railed:

"What have I done to you, God, to makes you punish me so, to vex you so?

"Why did you take my Stephanie, my big sister, away from me?

"Why can't I get out of this room? Am I doomed to live in it, forever?

"I'm going to get out, even if it's remotely like I did before for Ron, and I'll show you, God, I'll show you!

Quiet, then a quieter speech:

"I'm sorry, God, I take it all back.

"Please, God, send me someone to love.

"I need someone to care about, someone who'll care about me!" and he dropped his head into his hands and sobbed uncontrollably again until his computer beeped.

It was Kim's pattern.

He pulled himself together, and he was smiling when he popped the camera.

"Hi, Kim: Merry Christmas!" when what he wanted to say was "Hi, Kim. Marry me, and leave Ron; he'll understand."

I can dream, can't I?

I like dreaming, 'cause dreaming can make you mine….

- - - - - - -

He looked up at the ceiling on Christmas, again, this time in a suite, with Joss singing in the background..

"Thank you, God.

"Thank you for sending me someone, an angel, even after I yelled at you.

"You truly are the understanding Father. You gave me parents who I don't deserve for all the grief and pain that I've caused them over the last few years. They've stuck by me, God, and thank you for giving me what has to be the most patient and understanding father and mother in the world.

"I won't let you down again, God.

"And, God?

"Tell Stephanie I still love her, and now I finally understand. I don't hate her, anymore.

"I finally understand why she did what she did.

"I'm sorry for what I said to and about you, Stephanie.

"I'm sorry, God, for railing at you all these years. You didn't do any of this: we do it to ourselves.

"I'm going to figure out a way to help all of the Stephanie's, everywhere, God.

"I Promise."

He got quiet, then listened to Joss sing some more.

'It's beautiful, her song,' he thought. 'She's my Christmas angel, with red hair and tall boots,' he grinned.

'I know how I got this lucky…Thank You,' and he bowed his head.

- - - - - - -

Rachel and Ryan woke up to the singing in the shower.

"It must be Jocelyn," Rachel smiled.

"Either that, or we've got a 'Falsetto Load' in the family," Ryan replied, and Rachel hit him over the head with her pillow.

"Let's go see if Wade's awake," he slipped out of the bed and walked to the door, turning the knob and then stopping.

"Rachel," Ryan stage-whispered. "Come here, quick!" and she got to the door just as Wade looked up and started to speak.

His words were heartfelt, and they listened to his whole speech. When it was done, Ryan quietly closed and locked the door and they walked silently back to the bed, where they both lay down and grabbed and held each other and sobbed for the once-lost son who now was found as they remembered last Christmas….

- - - - - - -

"Merry Christmas, Wade!" and Rachel handed him another present.

Wade had the holo-projectors on in his room, and they were mimicking the living room Christmas tree in all of its splendor.

"Gee, Mom, more underwear! Thanks," Wade grinned as she rubbed the top of his head.

"For my little man," she said.

"MOM!"

"Sorry; I've always liked doing that.

"Here's yours, Mom and Dad," and Wade handed them a travel pouch.

"Go on, open it," he egged them on, and they opened it to find-

"Two first-class round-trip tickets to Paris and London? Wade, you shouldn't have!

"Dad, it's only money, and you two deserve it," he got quiet for a moment, then perked back up. "The hotels are all five-star, and you can be in Paris in 3 days if you pack now. This will give you a break from your classes, Dad.

"But-" and Wade shushed them.

"No buts, guys," and he lowered his head, then lifted it and revealed a trace of a tear. "You deserve a break, this week."

Ryan didn't see the tear, but Rachel did, and her heart sank, again but she masked her true feelings.

"That's all of them, Wade," and Rachel pointed into the corner where Wade had piled up his loot.

"We'll let you get some sleep, son. Maybe the super-villains will let you and Ron and Kim have a night off."

"I think so, Mom. Drakken's watching **_Snowman Hank_**, and the rest of them are sunning in Rio; well, except for DNAmy," and Wade grinned just thinking about her and her homemade Cuddle-bunny creatures.

"Even that Shego woman?" Ryan asked, and Rachel whacked at his back. "What? She's evil, but she's built; I'd bet that even Drew Lipsky hasn't missed noticing her."

"You'd lose that bet, Dad: he thinks of her a daughter," Wade added, then stood and stretched. "I **am** kinda tired."

"We'll let you rest, Wade," and Rachel kissed his forehead.

"Good night, son," Ryan shook his son's hand, and Rachel hugged him, quickly: she knew how much he hated hugs, now.

They left Wade's room, went into their bedroom, and managed to close their door before Rachel broke down.

"**I WANT MY SON BACK**!" she screamed, and she fell into Ryan's arms, and Ryan sobbed with her.

'Please, oh please, help my son,' he thought. 'He's doing so much good for the world; is it too much to ask that he have someone who will smile at him for him?' and Ryan kept crying: he wanted his son back, too, but he also knew that it wasn't going to happen until he had vanquished his 'Stephanie Watership' demons.

- - - - - - -

'Thank you.'

'Thank you.'

Both thoughts came from Wade's parents at the same time as they held each other, their gratitude for their son's recovery rapidly turned into passion.

'Glad I locked the door!' Ryan thought as he buried his head into his wife's chest, and he quit thinking for awhile.

- - - - - - -

Betty got out of the shower, reaching for a towel and missing.

'crap! You'd think that this place would hang towel racks closer to the bath,' and she made another long arm and snared a towel. She quickly dried her hair and face, then patted her body down and bent over to dry her legs. She stretched back up, ran the towel along her back and front one more time, then sat at the counter.

'I can't believe I'm worried about my makeup! I'm as giddy as Jocelyn!' was her thought as she couldn't decide what makeup base to wear today.

'Screw it: I'm going natural; well, not that natural,' she grinned as she put on her underwear and looked in the closet for something besides a jump suit or evening wear: she found the only slacks that she'd packed, almost by accident, and one of Slim's Lazy C Meezod shirts, and she decided that that was breakfast attire.

'OHMYGOD, breakfast with Slim and Jocelyn and Wade and Rachel and Ryan,' and Betty panicked and made a pot of coffee from the machine in the room. While it was bubbling, the bubbling sound reminded her of last year's Christmas soiree, 100 feet below the surface….

- - - - - - -

"…and, we're surfacing for the pickup, Dr. Director," the Navy Captain passed the information over the intercom to Betty's cabin.

Agents Du and Carlos and Agent Trainee Casey were returning from a mission; they had ditched in the North Pacific without any communications gear; they'd been in the water for 2 days, now, on a slow-leaking life-raft (compliments of the machine guns from the ship that came after them that, unfortunately for the ship, was no longer there: explosives tended to make holes in ships' hulls when placed strategically, and they didn't float very well or long with multiple holes, either.

'I'm glad I called; I won't be singing this Christmas.'

"We've got them on radar, Dr. Director, and we have visual. They're coming aboard, now," the Captain called.

"Send them down, if you don't mind," Betty responded, and she heard the Captain unsuccessfully stifled a laugh.

"Yes, Ma'am," and the 'com clicked off.

Four minutes later, and the knock came on the cabin door.

"Enter."

Three drowned rats came into Betty's cabin, and Acting Supervising Agent Will Du was limping noticeably, being supported by both Senior Agent Arnold Carlos and Probationary Agent Trainee Rebecca Jane Casey. Will was noticeably grimacing whenever he placed his right foot down, and they helped him into a chair.

"What happened?"

"It's my fault, Dr. Director. I take full responsibility for the incident," Agent Du was noticeably repentant, and Betty Director raised an eyebrow.

"We got out OK after we destroyed the files, Dr. Director," Agent Carlos stepped in, "but Agent Du was shot in the leg as we were launching our escape plane. Agent Casey pulled him into the plane, and I took off, but we'd taken too much damage from machine gun fire, and we went down after I'd managed to evade the radar signal from the island," he continued.

"We ditched the plane after I'd gotten off the last signal, and the plane went down less than a minute Agent Casey pulled Agent Du from the plane and into the raft. We took fire from a small surface ship from the island, but Agent Du had leftovers around his waist; Agent Casey jumped in and placed the charges on the hull as we dodged the machine gun fire in the raft; obviously, not very well," he nodded his head at the bandage on his left arm. "We blew the ship, and managed to make it in the raft, bailing water, until you came.

"Agent Du, how is this your fault?" Betty asked, and she finally got the answer she'd been hoping for, for the last four years.

"Ma'am, I was in charge, and I accept responsibility for my team," and Betty cheered inside.

"Agents Casey, Carlos," Will struggled to his feet, noticeably wincing, "I apologize for all of the insults and lack of respect that I've given you over the past two years. You are an exceptional agent and trainee, and you performed in the finest traditions of GJ. I would be proud to serve with you again," and he fell into the chair and passed out.

"WILL!" Rebecca Jane ran to him and laid him down gently on the deck, checking his pulse and finding it weak. She then lifted him up off the deck on a hunch and found a pool of blood. The Navy doctor aboard had come after the emergency call that Betty punched when she saw Will go down, and she checked his pulse.

"He's lost some blood, and he's in shock, but all of the signs look good, so he should be OK. Let's get him next door and onto a bed," she commanded as her assistants picked him up and placed him gently on a gurney.

"Be well, Will," Rebecca and Arnold both said, and they turned and faced their commander.

"Was what he said correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rebecca Jane replied, and Arnold nodded.

'A hell of a way to spend Christmas,' Betty thought.

"It's not your fault, nor is it his: shit happens, and we sometimes get the bad draw. Will will recover; will you?" Betty asked, and they both nodded.

"Good," she smiled.

"Now," Betty reached under her desk and pulled out a bottle of 75-year-old champagne. "I've been saving this for a special occasion, and I believe this is as good a time as any," she added as she poured three glasses, then handed one each to Rebecca Jane and Arnold.

"Ma'am?"

"Two things:

"One, I finally heard Will Du take responsibility for an incident when he didn't do anything wrong. I've been waiting for him to accept responsibility, and, when he wakes up, he'll have a nice Christmas present: a promotion!" and the three Global Justice team members clicked glasses and sipped.

"Two, someone else is getting a promotion to Supervising Agent, and it's not Rebecca Jane," and Betty shook the surprised Arnold Carlos' hand.

"Three, someone else is no longer a probationary, and it's not the Supervising Agent," and Betty shook the hand of the shocked Rebecca Jane, and then hugged her.

"To Global Justice, and those who never return," Betty raised her glass, and the other two repeated her toast, then clicked glasses and drained them.

"And, a Merry Christmas to both of you," Betty added, and they all left her cabin and headed next door to check on Will Du.

- - - - - - -

'If I could have gotten him to keep the humility,' Betty thought as she left her suite, heading for breakfast. 'But, he got the attitude back after he came back to active duty, and then there was the incident at Slim's ranch,' she thought.

'What can I do to enable him to change,' she asked herself as the elevator door opened, and she smiled at the couple with the little girl in the elevator.

"Merry Christmas to you," she said as she stepped into the elevator.

"What happened to your eye, lady?" the little girl asked, and her mother grabbed her and held her as the elevator door shut.

- - - - - - -

Slim woke up slowly, then remembered what had happened last night and smiled.

"She likes me….SHE LOVES ME!

'Thank you, darlin'' he thought as he looked up at the ceiling. 'I tol' her I wanted to take it slow, but time doesn't wait for old farts like me,' and he started his plan.

Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…

He slammed the alarm off, then listed and heard his daughter singing in the shower.

'It's both of us, Sheri Nicole. I hope she's ready for an extra Momma, darlin,' but I think she is, after what she asked me this past summer.

'I'm just happy that she's got Wade, darlin;' he's a better young man for her than those yahoos she's chased after at school, and he's not 23 like that hand that works at the ranch,' and he listened to what she was singing:

'Last Christmas…

'This is so much a better Christmas than last….'

- - - - - - -

Slim jumped from the bed as he heard the scream, and he ran up the stairs to find Joss, sitting up in bed, sobbing and breathing shallow quick breaths.

He went to the right side of her bed, sat on the edge, and reached for her hand. She squeezed his hand.

"Another one, Joss?"

"Daddy, what did I do?" Joss was still crying, and she got the words out between the sobs. "I still can't remember the dreams except for the fact that I'm scared.

"Why can't I have regular dreams for Christmas besides these? Daddy, what's wrong with me?" she grabbed his shirt and pulled her face into it, and the sobs became more violent.

"The doctors don't know, Joss; they won't know until you can break through," and she pulled away and started to beat him with her fists.

"WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER, DADDY?" she screamed, and she fell forward into his shirt and continued to soak it even more.

'Merry Christmas, Jocelyn,' he thought sarcastically. 'Merry Christmas to me.'

'Why, Sheri Nicole? Is it because I didn't get y'all out in time to save you: is that why you have to torture your own daughter, to get back at me?

'Take me, Sheri Nicole, but don't punish our daughter. You can have my life, if that's what you want as payback,' he thought as he began to form tears that fell on Joss's red hair as she continued to sob into her father.

'I'll live by myself, if that's what you want, even though that's not we agreed to, back then. But, please, Sheri Nicole, ask Him to send someone for Joss; not those yahoos at school that have her almost kicked out of school. Maybe Slick and his family will take me up on the offer to come up from Middleton; Joss is infatuated with Kim; maybe that'll help her get through the rest of this school year.

'She says she has friends, but they aren't real friends, not the kinds that you'd risk your neck for.'

"I don't want to be alone, darlin,' but if that's what it takes to let our little girl out of the hole she's in, I can live like that. I'll take loneliness over our daughter, any and every day.

'Please God, help my little girl,' and Slim dropped tears into Joss' hair as she continued to sob into his now-soaked pajama shirt.

- - - - - - -

Slim smiled as he threw off the covers and got out of bed, stretching his sore back, and headed for the shower. As he showered, he thought about his wife and daughter, both loving to sing in the shower. 'I wonder if Betty sings in the shower?' and he had a very wicked grin as just the thought of Betty in the shower awakened other parts of his body.

He got out, dripping, and grabbed a towel to dry himself off. He waved his razor at his face, making sure that he had no beard burn for Betty ('and how long has it been since I worried about that!'), and went back into the sleeping area and grabbed underwear, one of his ranch Meezod shirt, and a pair of jeans and boots. He combed his hair and mustache, checked his hat for any stains, and headed out the door after he noticed that it was almost 7:30.

- - - - - - -

"And, that's what happened to me," Betty finished as the elevator door opened and the little girl clapped her hands with glee.

"Gee, lady, you're exciting! You know Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable and Rufus, and you help save the world with Global Justice!" she grabbed the hand of her mother, who by now was smiling after being shocked at her daughter's opening statement to Betty.

"Thank you, Dr. Director," she said simply, and Betty smiled back and shook her head.

"It's Betty," she clarified, and she handed her a card. "If you're ever in Middleton or back in DC, give me a call at the number on the card: I'll answer your call, and maybe I can get Kim's and Ron's autographs for both of you," and the little girl and her brother both smiled. Betty leaned over and whispered to the mother:

'I'm going to go see a really gorgeous man who just told me last night that he LOVES me!" and the woman grinned and clapped her hands just like her daughter had done.

"Good luck, Betty!" she called as she led her children away to the other restaurant in the hotel.

"Good morning, Dr. Director," the hostess smiled Betty as she walked up

"Good morning, Marty."

"Table for one?"

"No, Marty, there'll be a load coming down for breakfast," Betty replied and grinned inside at the pun. "About seven, I believe, and one is the Ron I told you about yesterday," and the hostess smiled broadly.

"I tasted some of his dessert that he left for us from last night: I didn't know that anything could be that good!" she gushed as she led Betty to a large round table.

"If a gentleman with a big mustache comes in," she said as she sat, "please tell him where I am."

"Don't need to, Elizabeth," and Betty smiled as Slim walked up, and he pulled her up and kissed her quickly, then pulled the chair out for her to sit.

"Why, thank you, kind sir," she responded as she sat down, and he joined her in the seat next to hers'.

"Did you sleep well, Slim? She asked, and he smiled.

"Better than I ever have since I've owned the ranch, 'Madam Librarian,'" he replied, and Betty blushed.

"Slim! Please! What will people think?"

"I hope they think I'm in love with you, Elizabeth, because it's true. Should I tell them?" And he pushed his chair back and moved to stand.

"NO!" she whisper-shouted, and he smiled and sat back down.

"I would have, you know," he added, and Betty nodded and picked up a menu to hide her face.

"Let's have some breakfast," she suggested, and Slim reached across and pulled the menu down to reveal a smiling Betty.

"Tease," he accused her, and she nodded vigorously.

"I love you, too, Slim. Should we both shout it here?" and she pushed her chair back.

"NO!" he whisper-shouted, and she smiled and sat back down.

"I thought not; you were bluffing," she stated, and took his hand and squeezed it.

"Who's bluffin'?" Joss asked as she walked up followed by Wade, who was smiling broadly. He pulled a chair out for Joss, and she nodded as she sat down next to her father.

Wade walked behind Betty and whispered, 'I know, and I heartily approve of the combination!" and he sat next to her as Betty grinned and became a light, cheeky pink.

"Good morning, all," Rachel and Ryan came up top the table, and Betty stood and hugged Rachel.

"I SO approve," Rachel whispered to Betty, and Betty sat down with a semi-permanent pink.

"I SO approve," Ryan whispered to Slim as he leaned over and shook his hand, and Slim headed for a bit of pink in his cheeks and arrived safely.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Joss asked, still trying to figure out what was happening, and everyone except her smiled.

- - - - - - -

Kim and Ron had come down to grab a bite before taking an early flight back to Denver and then to Middleton, and the hostess had gotten Ron's autograph and a kiss. Kim hadn't jelled one bit. Kim was chuckling inside as she watched Joss squirm because she didn't know what was happening.

'I'm glad I'm not like that," Kim thought, and looked shocked as Ron squeezed her hand and grinned.

"No, really, isn't anybody gonna tell me what's happ'nin'?" By the end of breakfast, Joss was miffed to the max. Everyone danced around what was happening, and no one would tell her.

"That's what you get for sleeping through it, Sweet Tea," Wade smirked, and Joss threw her napkin at him.

"Betty, we had an idea: why don't you come and spend Christmas with us?" Ryan asked, and Rachel nodded. "I'll even get Wade to turn off his extra scanners so we don't have a 'scanner malfunction,'" Ryan added, and Wade looked like a guilty man, and Joss just looked peeved and depressed at the same time.

"Wehl, Ryan," Slim interjected, "That sounds lak a great idea, but I wan' to raise the anty a littl' bit: how 'bout all y'all come up to the ranch tonight and the next two days, and we'll fly to Middleton for the day before and Christmas Eve?" Slim suggested, and Wade and Joss both perked up at the idea.

"Besides, Rachel, I thank that seperatin' these two for their first Christmas," and he pointed at Wade and Joss, "would have 'bout as much success as gittin' Ron to keep his pants up," and they all chuckled and Ron blushed when he added, "especially when mah fav'rite niece is around," and this time Kim pink'ed.

"Besides," Slim continued, "y'all haven' seen the ranch, and ah've got to feed Tornado," and Rachel and Ryan both looked confused as everybody else broke into big whoops of laughter.

"Betty, would you care to come, too?" and Slim smiled, and Betty nodded.

"Whad'dya think, you two?"

"Well, we'd love to, but I don't know if we could change our flights that quickly," Rachel replied, and a throat-clearing had her turn to her son, PosComm in hand.

"Done," he announced. "PosComm Mark 4.3: don't leave the bunker without it," he grinned as Joss tossed another napkin at Wade.

"Isn't anyone gonna tell me what's goin' on?" By now, she was frustrated and on the verge of tears.

"Sweet Tea," Slim spoke as he took Betty's hand, "Elizabeth and I are in love," and he lifted Betty's hand and kissed it tenderly. Ron and Kim smiled at both Betty and Slim, and Kim winked at her uncle while Ron smiled a knowing smile at Betty: both acts generated blushing by the recipients.

"Well, D'OI! Y'all jus' now figgered that out?" Joss asked, and Wade barely stifled a chuckle. "Wade and I have known that since before he left this summer," she added, and Wade smiled. "Gosh, y'all are slower that Wade and I," and with that Wade tossed a napkin at Joss.

"Hey, we're older than y'all: give us a break," Slim replied, and Betty smiled. "We both were scared, of some of the same things and of other different things.

"We don't know where we'll end up, but we're taking it slow," he ended.

"So, I still may get married before you, Slim," Wade joked, and Joss turned and tossed another wadded napkin at Wade.

Rachel and Ryan and Kim and Ron all applauded both couples; then Rachel looked at Ryan and smiled, and then Ryan kissed his wife, and Ron followed suit as he kissed a surprised Kim, and the applause was returned by the table's audience table surrounding them. They all looked up, embarrassed, then went back to their kisses.

"I guess I'm going forward to Montana," Wade mused as he collected the napkins that he'd received and piled them on his plate.

"Can we go see the Lincoln Memorial one more time, and back to Arlington one more time before we leave? I still have some people I'd like to see at Arlington?" Wade asked, and Rachel and Ryan both smiled inwardly as they watched their son.

"I wanna go, too. Kin we go, Daddy?"

"I don't see why not, Jocelyn," and they turned to see Admiral English and Commander Peterson walking up to their table. Ron, Ryan and Slim started to stand, but Admiral waved them down.

"Please, don't get up. I just stopped by to find out if you were all right, Jocelyn." Claudia stated as she pulled up a chair from an adjoining table.

"I'm fine, Admiral," Joss replied, and Claudia held up her hand.

"Claudia, please; or CR, Jocelyn."

"I'm fine, Claudia. Thank you for everything you did; Momma would have been happy," Joss replied, fighting to keep the tears away.

It didn't succeed for the Admiral. "Thank you, Jocelyn," she replied as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I've got a few connections, and some people that owe me a favor or two: would anyone like to take a tour of the White House?" and Wade and Ryan both looked the same age as they waved their hands vigorously in the air; Rachel just smiled at her big kid husband and her son.

"I take it that's a yes?" Claudia grinned, and they all left the table and headed out into the lobby. They found Steve Barkin and Charles Brickle out there, and with little coaxing convinced them to come along. They all decided that they should meet back in the lobby in one hour after checking out of the hotel and do all their tours before heading to the airport.

Kim ad Ron said their goodbyes, getting hugs and kisses from everyone, even Mr. Barkin and Charles Brickle. They picked up their backpacks and headed out to their cabs and the airport.

"Kim!" Betty called, and Kim came back to a grinning Betty.

"Do you still want to do it?" Betty asked, and Kim looked serious for a moment, then grinned.

"Sure, Betty," she replied. "Let's give them a Christmas that they'll never forget!"

"Thanks for having faith in me, Betty; I won't let you down," Kim added, and she ran to catch Ron and their cab to the airport.

"I'll call you," Betty called as the door closed behind Kim.

- - - - - - -

Other than Wade getting pulled aside by the Secret Service for carrying the PosComm into the White House, the White House tour was uneventful. Fortunately for Wade, he was cleared after being vouched for by both the director of Global Justice, the DNS, and the Secretary of State; the recognition generated a large collection of requests for autographs from Wade and promises to have Kim send autographs to several of the agents ("It's for my daughter" was the most popular reason, and Wade heard Joss mutter more than once under her breath "lo drops,'" but he decided he'd ask her about that later),

- - - - - - -

They pulled into Arlington National Cemetery again.

'Everybody looks happy except my Wade,' Joss thought. 'Somethin's botherin' him,' and he yelled:

"Stop the car!" and he dove for the door, pushed it open, jumped out of the Hummer, and started running thru the snow.

"I'll go!" Joss yelled as the adults all started to stand to go after Wade. She jumped out of the limousine and fell face-first into the snow, but picked herself up quickly and ran slowly into the maze of grave sites.

'He's goin' back to Momma's grave!' she thought as he zigzagged down the paths and around headstones to stop.

Joss came up behind him and saw him kneeling at Sheri Nicole's grave, holding the flowers that Joss and Kim had placed there yesterday. Joss noticed that the flowers looked remarkably fresh after the day and night in the snow, but that wasn't what caught her attention.

'Wade's sayin' sumpn'' she thought, and she stepped quietly up behind him, and she heard the last of his comments.

"You will never be forgotten, and I will find the ones who planned this.

"For you.

"For Slim.

"For your daughter, whom I'd give my life for, Sheri Nicole: For Andrea Jocelyn Possible:"

"You, and Stephanie, her little brothers and sisters, and all of the Stephanie's in the world: you will be avenged," and he put the flowers back on the ground, stood, and turned. Joss saw that his face was covered in tears.

"Why did you run off, Wade?"

"I realized last night that I hadn't made my promise to your Momma, Joss, and I had to do it.

"I will find the people that captured you, Joss, and took your Momma away from you. I promised her one night at the ranch, and I had to tell her here, again," and he started walking back to the Hummer.

"You're scaring me, Wade, and you've only done that once before: in Donna's office before you learned the full story about Stephanie," she said as they walked back. "Wade, what aren't you telling me?" she grabbed him and spun him back to face her.

"I don't know anything for sure, Jocelyn, my love. I don't want to give you false hope; but, when I find out who did it, I will tell you and your dad. Until then, nothing from my lips" and he put his hand to his mouth and pantomimed turning a lock on his mouth, then smiled.

"You mean, I can't do this?" and she stepped up to him and kissed him, and she teased him with her mouth.

"No, Joss, not until we're older: we agreed, remember? Besides, you're cold and wet, so let's get you back to the van."

"All right, but I still wanna be able to feed you some 'Wadeshine,'" she said as she took his hand and they walked the rest of the way back to the limo.

"You bet," he agreed, and the limo door opened and they stepped back in.

"Wade, are you all right?" Rachel asked, and he nodded.

"I'm fine, Mom.

"Admiral, isn't Grace here?" and Claudia Rose grinned.

"You know your heroes, Wade. Commodore/Rear Admiral Grace Hopper is indeed interned here."

"That's the only other spot that I want to see," he finished as he plopped into the seat, and Joss sat next to him.

"Ewww, you're wet," he commented as he pulled out the snowball that he had stashed inside his coat pocket and shoved it down the back of Joss' coat.

She screamed.

Lindsey laughed.

The whole car laughed even more when Joss produced a snowball of her own and ground it into Wade's lap.

"Geniuses at play," Rachel whispered to her husband, and Ryan smiled.

- - - - - - -

"Thank you, again, Admiral," Slim thanked Claudia Rose as the ensigns pulled the rest of the luggage out of the back of the Hummer.

"Commander, it was my pleasure, she said as she shook his hand, then smiled. "So, now you're going to go outside the family?" she asked as she nodded her head at Betty who was in an animated conversation with Lindsey.

"I hope so, Admiral, I really hope so. You'd better look out, though; Betty has that recruiting look," and Slim nodded his head in the direction of Lindsey.

"That's impossible," Claudia stated categorically, and Slim laughed.

"If it happens between us, Claudia, 'check her name,'" and Slim laughed as Claudia suddenly decided that she needed to join that other conversation.

"Daddy?" Joss tugged on his sleeve, and Slim had a flashback to a two-year-old but shook his head a couple of times hard.

"Yes, Sweet Tea?"

"I think Betty will be a fun Momma2," she stated, and her comment made Slim's decision easier.

"Thank you, Sweet Tea," and he hugged Joss, then pushed her back and made a face. "You're wet," he announced, then laughed and hugged her again after she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I love you, Jocelyn Possible," he said into her hair.

- - - - - - -

"Son, thank you; I haven't had this much fun in a long time," Ryan was just turning away from the counter where he'd confirmed their seats on the changed flights.

"Probably since before Stephanie died," Wade replied, and Ryan and Rachel lost all emotion from their face.

"It's all right; I told you that I understand that I've been a pain in the ass for the last few years. I just hope y'all can forgive me," and Rachel grinned.

"Y'all, Wade?"

"Yup," he replied with a big grin. "Ah've had a heapin' helpin' of Montana, and Ah'm a'headin' back," and he laughed along with his parents.

"Besides, you two would love the bench," he added, and his Dad smiled, wondering if he could pull off his own version of the 'bench plan.'

'I'll need some help from Tornado,' he thought, then realized what he'd just said in his head: he needed help from a talking robot horse.

'Willl-burr,' he thought, then laughed to himself as he headed to his wife.

- - - - - - -

"Betty, I sure wish you could fly out with me," Slim smiled sadly.

"Slim, I'm sorry, but I've got to get back to Middleton and follow-up on some cases; I'll take commercial to the ranch tomorrow, and I'll fly back to Middleton with you," she added, and he kissed her cheek.

"I'll miss you, 'Madam Librarian,'" he smiled and kissed her quickly on the lips, but Betty would have none of that.

"That's not good enough," she whispered, and she grabbed his head, pulled him to her, and kissed him so passionately that the people around them in the waiting area all applauded, and Joss' jaw dropped four feet.

"I guess you two finally did figger it out," Joss clapped her hands with glee, jumped up, and ran and hugged both Betty and Slim.

"I'll see you in Montana, Elizabeth," Slim called over his shoulder as he and Joss headed down the jetway.

"I'll see you, Slim," she whispered, and then Dr. Elizabeth "Betty" Director, head of Global Justice, lost all decorum:

"I LOVE YOU, SLIM POSSIBLE!" she shouted, and the people around her applauded again…including Admiral Claudia Rose English and Lt. Commander Lindsey Peterson and the ensigns with them.

'What has he done to me?' Betty asked herself as she walked out with a grinning Claudia Rose and Lindsey and three jealous ensigns, far younger than Betty but just as interested in her as they were in Lindsey and the Admiral.

'I'm acting like a schoolgirl: even Jocelyn is being mature about Wade than I am about Slim,' Betty thought; 'my man…now, I'm sure I've totally lost my mind!

'Why not, Betty? Why not "your man"? He's rugged, he's handsome, you want to spend the rest of your live with him, you want to have his children…CHILDREN?

'What an intriguing and neat idea…children…' she mused as they exited the building,

"I just love a woman in uniform," one of ensigns whispered to his blond partner.

"Any uniform," the Blondie replied.

"**All** uniforms," the brown-haired ensign added, and all three nodded as they walked out to the Hummer to return to the real world.

- - - - - - -

Author's afterward:

The schedule for publishing chapters 2-5 is below and in my profile:

Chapter 2 – 12/21

Chapter 3 – 12/23

Chapter 4 – 12/24

Chapter 5 – 12/25

Slim would tell you that he has his presents identified, and all are purchased, as would Betty…but, that's not important. Tornado's going to be busy, but I'm not worried about him: he's da horse! And Joss has her presents for Wade. Where are Steve Barkin and Charlie Brickle? You really don't want to know….

Our next chapter begins on the way out of DC and lasts until they are heading to Middleton: next, in chapter 2 of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory: 12/20-22 - Time to and in Montana….**

Thanks again for reading, and please review.


	2. Chapter 2 – Time to and in Montana

Blue Eyes, Shining 4: Paint Me a Christmas Memory

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time). This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

**A/N Forward: **

They're boarding the plane for Montana; well, all except Betty…but she'll get there. But, where are Steve and Charlie? And, remember: What happens in Montana…. in this second chapter of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory – 12.20-­22: Time to and in Montana….**

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

**Chapter 2 – 12.20-22: Time to and in Montana….**

- - - - - - -

**12/20**

"…and Slim came out, totally sauced, looked around, and asked, 'Where'd my elephant go?'"

Charlie Brickle roared and hoisted another glass of scotch as Steve Barkin ended the last of the stories about Slim in that bar in Shanghai.

"Escape Airlines Flight 797 to Denver will begin boarding in 15 minutes; thank you for flying Escape," came over the speakers.

"God, Barker, I haven't laughed that hard in ages."

"Me neither, Brick. I'm glad I could get time off, after all that's happened this year. The first semester was rough on some of the students, what with the 'Lil' Diablos' still fresh on everyone's mind, but I think it's over, now.

"Let's go catch our plane," and Steve stood, and Charlie followed as they headed to the counter. To their shock, there was no line!

"Steve Barkin, and Charles Brickle," Steve announced as they each handed the counter agent their tickets.

"Yes, Mr. Barkin," the agent replied as she handed them their boarding passes. "Your upgrade was processed, and you are both on row 2 in First Class," she stated as they looked at her as if she had grown a second and third head. "Thank you for flying Escape."

"We didn't request an upgrade!" Steve stated calmly, but his tone was serious.

"No, sir. The upgrade was provided by a 'WadeLogistics LLC,' if I'm reading the notes correctly," she said as she stared at the notes screen.

Steve looked up as he heard a whistle, and turned to see Wade hold up his handheld unit and wave at Steve. It looked like Kimberly Possible's 'Kimmunicator,' as she called it…what did he call his? Ah, yes, the PosComm.

"Doctor Load! What in the name of Mad Dogs did you do?" Steve asked as he stormed over to Wade, followed by Charlie.

"I just got you seats you deserve," Wade replied. "Call it my way of saying 'Thank You' for serving your country, or call it an early Christmas present, or call it a very small payback for being underpaid and abused by students on a daily basis, or call it a Thank You for being flexible with Joss this year and/or with Kim and Ron when I call them: I don't care what you call it. But, you're going home first class, and that's that."

"But, your parents," Steve sputtered; he'd never been talked to like that by someone that young! But Wade cut him off:

"…aren't paying for this: I am. Case closed, Mr. Barkin."

"But, how…"

"A little cash from my inventions, royalties, you name it."

Steve looked at Wade with a great deal more respect than he ever had had in the past.

"Thank you, Dr. Load," he replied, much calmer, and he stuck out his hand.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Barkin, and please, it's Wade: there are three Doctors Load in my house," and Wade shook his hand.

"Shall we go?" and Wade pointed them to the jetway, and they nodded and headed to the plane.

- - - - - - -

"Dr. Load?" the flight attendant had stopped by his seat after walking past his seat two or three times before takeoff, looking like she wanted to ask something but couldn't, or wouldn't.

"Yes? And, it's Wade, please, Miss," and he squinted to read her name tag.

"It's Shirley, Wade. You **are** the Wade Load from Team Possible, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am, I am," and Joss giggled and looked around for Sam and Green Eggs and Ham.

"First, let me say it's an honor to meet you. I was in the air with a plane that had a Diablo inside, and it had just started to attack when it miraculously began to shrink, no more than three minutes after it had grown to about seven feet tall. It wasn't until much later that we found out that it was you who cut the signal to them and stopped Dr. Drakken's plot.

"Second, we have several people who have come in and asked if it was you up here. I'm embarrassed to say that I'm just a guilty as they are in hero worship, and several of them asked me to ask you," and she turned bright red as her voice grew softer, "if they could have your autograph, Doctor, uh, Wade?"

"My pleasure," Wade replied, and Shirley smiled broadly. "After we're in the air, just have them come up, or I can go back, and sign whatever they want signed.

"If you could start with me?" and the pilot handed him a book. "I almost lost my aircraft, sir: we had four of those things that almost went through the top of the aircraft, and you saved us."

"It's no big," Wade smiled as he signed the captain's book. "It's what Team Possible does," he added as he handed the book back to the beaming Captain.

Joss was grinning and thought to herself: 'My hero! If he hadn't taken that chance on me, he wouldn't be here hearing just how many all of these people love him!' and she squeezed his arm.

Wade turned in surprise and had a big grin on his face.

"Did you hear that, Joss? They want MY AUTOGRAPH! Not Kim's; Not Ron's; not my parents: mine!"

"That's what you get, hero," she replied as she kissed his cheek. "Now, git to signin'!"

- - - - - - -

After they took off and leveled off on the way to Denver, Wade spent the next hour signing autographs and talking to adults and young adults his age and kids younger than him.

Joss enjoyed watching Wade 'work the crowd,' and she really enjoyed the looks on the faces of the 'tween and teenage girls when Wade introduced her as his girlfriend.

'The old Bonnie would have been proud of the looks of jealousy on their faces,' Joss thought, 'and, Ah have to admit, Ah felt a bit of 'He's **Mah** Man!' when Wade introduced me. Ah finally got over being jealous after the third person asked for a kiss on the cheek. But, older women and girls my age were both asking for kisses!

'Gosh, some of them were OLD: they musta been over 30, and they still wanted a kiss from my Wade.

'my Wade….

'That feels sooo right.'

'Eat your hearts out, girls: he picked **me**!' was what she really wanted to scream.

Wade was enjoying his fame, and he especially enjoyed the guys that he introduced Joss to as his girlfriend. The downcast looks on their faces after they first saw her and looked excited then learned that she was dating him was priceless to Wade.

'Eat your hearts out, guys, she picked **me**!' was what he really wanted to scream.

After the last of the autograph hounds had left, Wade leaned his seat back. Joss leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"You want to know which one I enjoyed the most, Joss?" Wade asked her with his eyes closed, but he had a smile on his face.

"It was the little boy, no older than six, that asked me what I did to be so brave?" and Wade scrunched up his face.

"I told him that I wasn't brave, that I was just as scared as they were, especially when that Diablo grew in my room and took out a chunk of house and ceiling, but knowing that Kim and Ron were out there fighting for all of us gave me the courage that I needed to figure out what to do.

"Then he jumped up and kissed my cheek and told me I was his hero, and he wanted to grow up and be like me, Joss!

"Thank you, Sweet Tea," Wade whispered. "Without you, my hero, I wouldn't be here."

"Without you, my hero," Joss replied, "I wouldn't be here, either."

And they both fell asleep, Joss leaning on his shoulder, both of them smiling.

- - - - - - -

Ryan, Rachel, and Slim were watching the entire dance and talking quietly among themselves.

"Slim, you're done one heck of a job raising your daughter alone," Ryan said, and Slim smiled.

"It's me who should be complimentin' y'all on rearin' Wade: he's been nothin' but a gentleman ever since he met mah Sweet Tea, and he's been durn respectable to me the whole time he wuz at the ranch, and he pitched in on so many chores along with workin' on the Command Center.

"He's one helluva man," Slim added proudly, "and that's why I tol' him Ah'd gladly put mah daughter's hand in his when the right time came."

"Was he that serious that early about wanting to get married, Slim?"

"Rachel, when did'ya know that you wanted to marry Ryan?"

"The moment that I saw him," she answered honestly, and Ryan grinned. "Of course, I couldn't tell him that, then. I had to make him work for me," she added, and Ryan put on a pout of his own, and Rachel laughed softly.

"The night that Sweet Tea had her breakthrough, she asked me if she could marry Wade when she got her college degree," Slim replied. "I reminded her that she wasn't doin' all that well in school right now, and she tol' me she was gonna change. She's gone from bad girl to straight A's, Rachel, and it's all Wade's fault." Slim told her with a smile on his face.

"She's come to Washington to see her Momma's grave for the first time since Sheri Nicole wuz buried: she's never wanted to, before, and she told me why, in two words:

"'Her Hero.'

"I'd give that boy of yours the moon or anythin' he asked for, for givin' me mah daughter back, Rachel," and Slim wiped a tear out of his eye.

"Slim, that's how we feel about your daughter," Ryan said after the next wave of Wade-groupies came in. "After Stephanie died, he was inconsolable, and we couldn't get him out of his room, except for very rare occasions: I don't think that Wade left his room more than four or five times a year, and not for longer than 10 or 15 minutes at a time before he ran back in; that is, until Jocelyn showed up on the Kimmunicator.

"He saw her, and he was smitten beyond words, but he didn't think that she'd want any thing to do with him. Then, he started working with her after you approved it, and I couldn't believe my ears when he told me he was going to Montana to work with Jocelyn!

"I couldn't even see him off, Slim: I was too scared that I'd jinx him, and he'd either not leave or come back too soon. Ron kept us up to date, and told us more of what was happening when he got up there.

"When I asked Ron if Wade was OK, he said that Wade's condition, if I remember the phrase, was:

"BOOYAH!" And they all laughed softly.

"Then, Slim," Rachel added, "when Jocelyn came down here and was with Wade when he learned what happened to Stephanie, I understood how he felt about her.

"That night, Slim," and her voice was starting to break, "I heard him praying. He was thanking God for you and Jocelyn; then he thanked Him for giving him the courage to come into your lives, and for you two becoming the part of his life that he's been missing since Stephanie died.

"Slim, Jocelyn gave me my son back. I'm like you with Wade: there's nothing I wouldn't do for her or you," she smiled, and a large smile grew on Slim's face, and he grinned, grabbed Rachel's hand and kissed it.

"'No kissie my wife!'" Ryan channeled Shego and then laughed. "At least, not without supervision," and Rachel was embarrassed along with Slim as Ryan laughed at and with the two of them when they finally did start laughing.

"So, we're gonna watch 'em and make sure they don't start doin' the dance too early?" Slim asked, and both Ryan and Rachel nodded.

"I'm pretty sure that we can trust them, but hormones are hormones," Ryan mused.

"And, hornmones are hornmones, as well," Rachel concluded, and they all nodded and smiled, having all three been there, before.

- - - - - - -

"Dr. Director?" Betty turned around from her laptop screen to face the voice.

"Good afternoon, Rebecca Jane," she said as she stood and walked from behind her desk.

Rebecca Jane grew a huge grin on her face.

"I heard: he finally told you, didn't he?" and her boss' reaction answered her question with the big smile.

"Oh, Betty, I'm so happy for you," and Rebecca Jane violated several regulations by running over and hugging Betty.

"So, why are you here?" Rebecca Jane asked accusingly, and Betty grinned.

"Well, 'Mother,'" Betty began, 'I came back to check on those cases and to pack."

"Are you taking the LRD, Betty?"

"Of course, Rebecca Jane," and both Betty and Rebecca Jane grinned as they remembered the first time that Slim saw the 'little red dress.'

"I hope you have a very, Merry Christmas, Boss," Rebecca Jane dead-panned, then broke into a huge grin and laugh.

"Dr Director," Will Du came walking in uninvited, and Rebecca Jane hit him.

"OW! What was that for?" he rubbed his arm that held the folder.

"Not knocking," Betty replied, then pointed to the folder. "What is it, Will?"

"We just received an inquiry from a USN officer, Dr. Director," and, was that Will Du smiling? Rebecca Jane asked herself.

"Yes, Lt. Commander Lindsey Peterson," and Will looked downcast. "I told her to contact you, Will, because you could give her the best view of the information she was looking for," Betty added, and Will's face actually cracked a smile! It was only for a moment, but it was too shocking for Rebecca Jane to catch a shot of it on her camera-phone; she hoped that the surveillance videos had caught it.

"Very well, Dr. Director, I'll get right in it."

"After Christmas, Will," Betty admonished.

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled again, turned, and left the room.

"Wow," was Rebecca Jane's only response.

"Oh, she's a wow, all right, and she's good, too: she's currently personal aide to the DNS.

"Admiral English?"

"Yes; do you know her?"

"Only by reputation."

"Well, it seems that she plays chess," Betty smirked.

"With who – NO! Not Wade?"

"The one and only, Rebecca Jane. He told her that Slim and Jocelyn were coming to DC to visit Sheri Nicole's grave in Arlington, and she arranged everything, including tours of the White House and actually coming to the grave with them."

"That matches what I've heard about her: she's on your side, and there's nothing she won't do for you; you're against her, and Heaven help you.

"So, when are you leaving?"

"I'm going home to pack, and then I'm outta here for two days, then the whole group of us are coming back to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Load's."

"I want to see the ring, Betty, when you get it at Christmas."

"Rebecca Jane!" Betty grinned, then converted it to a smile. "We agreed that we were going to go slow; I'm not sure if he's really ready, and I'm not sure what I'd do if he did offer me a ring."

"As Jocelyn would say, Betty: 'Snake Muffins!' The man loves you, and you know that, if he asked you, you'd say 'yes,'" and Betty smiled inside.

"Let me get back to this last case, and then I'm taking the tube to my apartment, packing, and taking the tube to the airport. I told Slim I'd fly up to meet him there and fly back commercial with him from Montana," and Betty went back to her desk and sat down to wrap up her work.

"Oh, My God, It Must Be Love, if she's taking commercial," Rebecca Jane swooned, and headed out the door laughing, then stopped and turned around.

"Boss?" she said, and Betty looked up.

"Thanks for everything this year, and especially for having faith in me. Merry Christmas; I really hope your dreams do come true," and she turned and left the office.

"If I only knew," 'what my dreams were,' Betty finished her statement with a thought, then turned back and started the shutdown on her laptop.

- - - - - - -

"It's beautiful, Slim," Rachel exclaimed as they pulled onto the property.

The snow and winds had deposited drifts against the sides of the buildings, and the ground was completed covered in white.

"It's Montana, Rachel, and there are very few people up here to mess it up, unlike the cities," Slim replied.

Both Wade and Joss had evil thoughts relating to snowballs, and they both executed them immediately upon exiting the vehicle. The adults decided to defend their honor, and there was an old vs. new snowball fight (three on two) that lasted for over an hour.

Tornado had to break up the fight, and he trotted in between two warring parties and walked up to Wade.

"Good afternoon, Wade."

"Hello, Tornado.

"Is Master Ron with you this trip?"

"No, he's not."

"I am sorry to hear that, Wade. I enjoy the company of Master Ron: he is a truly unique being," Tornado observed, and he was not programmed, nor had he learned, how to interpret the human emotions that he witnessed as Joss and Wade both laughed.

- - - - - - -

"Come on, Wade, it's all right," Joss said as she tried unsuccessfully to pull Wade up the stairs to her loft, one hand pulling and the other holding her flag from Claudia Rose.

"Are you sure Slim said it's all right for me to be up there?" Wade asked one more time, more than a little scared.

"What are you a'skert of, Wade? Cooties?" and she snickered as he frowned.

"All right, Miss Smarty-Skirt, I'm coming up," Wade pulled his arm loose, and Joss walked up the stairs to her loft, followed by Wade.

"Here's home, sweet home, Wade," she announced as she placed the flag on her desk, and turned back to see Wade stopped with his head barely sticking above the floor.

"WADE!"

"All right," he pouted, and he took the final steps into Joss' room. He looked around, confused.

"Did you expect a wall filled with bras and panties, or what?" Joss needled him, and he shuddered at the thought.

"Joss," his voice was quiet, "I haven't been in a girl's room since Stephanie, and she was seven years older than me," he explained.

"Oh, Wade," she stepped over to him and hugged him.

"Look," and she pointed to the picture over her bed:

It was the picture of Wade and Joss after Kim's party; Wade had his arm around Joss' waist, and he was smiling broadly as his head was tilted slightly to ward Joss. Joss had her arm around Wade, and her smile, one of simple love and desire to be with someone special and caring, captured her face, and her blue eyes danced in the picture.

Wade was wearing one of Slim's Lazy-C ranch Meezod shirts and pair of khaki pants, and he looked relaxed and protective. Joss was wearing the same outfit, only hers was tighter and left no doubt that she was a she, her red hair slightly danced as if there was a slight breeze that had just subsided.

They both looked like that both of their lives' dreams had been answered.

"Joss," Wade's voice was soft, "it's beautiful. The picture, I mean: you're beautiful in any picture.

"If you give me a copy of this picture, I'll have everything I want and desire for Christmas; well," he smiled and gave her the look, "almost everything," he said as he placed his hands on each side of her head and pulled her into a kiss that took her breath away.

Wade's kiss said 'I'll love your forever,' and 'I'll never take advantage of you,' and 'I'll wait for you forever if I have to.'

"All I want for Christmas, Jocelyn," he whispered, "I have: I have your love, and that's all I'll ever need from you," and he kissed her hand.

"Does he have a twin brother?" A young, soft, feminine voice came from the loft-stairs, and Wade turned around to see a brown-haired head emerge from the floor. "I want one jus' like that," she added as she pointed at Wade as she stepped off of the stairs and onto the floor.

"JEN!" and Joss broke free of Wade and ran to hug Jennifer, and Jen hugged her back.

"Joss, how was it?" Jen asked, and Joss smiled.

"It was tough, but I had my hero," she smiled dreamily, and she stretched her arms, grabbed Wade, and pulled him over to the two girls.

"Wade, this is Jennifer Battle, my new BGF and one-time posse-member. Jen, this is Dr. Wade Load, Team Possible's 'Q,' my BFBF, and my hero," Joss gushed all of the words at once, and Jennifer smiled and stuck out her hand.

"A pleasure, Dr. Load," Jen replied, and Wade took her hand and kissed it, smiling.

"Believe me, the pleasure's all mine, Jennifer, and it's Wade, please," and he released her hand, and Jen tried not to swoon. "Joss told me about this year, and I'm sorry that you lost a friend," Wade added.

"And, may I add, your eyes are beautiful, Jennifer. Is that a topaz color?" he asked, and Jennifer drooled inside.

"I have to clone him, Joss, OK?" Jen begged, and Wade grinned.

"No cloning, Jen," Joss grinned and wrapped her arms around Wade. "This one's the original, and he's mine," she added.

"'lo drops," Jen muttered.

"'lo drops?'" Wade was confused; he'd forgotten to ask her about the line when they were in DC and Joss used it.

"Short for 'buffalo droppings," Joss explained, and Wade laughed.

"So, you like the picture, Wade?" Jen asked and pointed.

"It's beautiful, but not as beautiful as the real thing, right here," Wade replied as he kissed Joss on the cheek.

"I gotta get me one, Joss," Jen pleaded. "Can't you get Ron to drop Kim?"

"Milking bulls," Wade replied, and Joss laughed while Jen looked confused for a moment, then got it and laughed sadly.

"That bad, huh?"

"Ron was hooked in pre-K, Jennifer, so 'no chance' could be considered an understatement," and the three of them continued to talk, ultimately all of them ending up sitting on Joss' bed ('I'm on her bed!,' Wade thought in a panic, then grinned inside: 'I'm on her bed….'), then lying on the floor, swapping stories and laughing, their heads forming a triangle as they all faced each other and talked.

Ryan and Slim heard the voices from upstairs in the loft, and they stuck their heads barely above the floor and watched the three young people laughing and talking. They quietly went back down the stairs, and Ryan looked over at Slim to find tears covering his face.

"I nevah thought ah'd see the day agin that mah littl' gurl would be laughin' in her room with friends," and he broke down sobbing and fell into Ryan.

Ryan just stood there and let Slim release his pain.

- - - - - - -

"Jennifer," Wade stood and offered her his hand after offering it to Joss (who, of course accepted), "it's been a pleasure to meet one of my Joss' friends, especially one as lovely as you," and he kissed her hand again after she stood, still more than a bit overawed by him and giddy at the same time.

Jennifer giggled.

"Just say the word, Joss, and I'm takin' him home when you've dumped him," she announced.

Joss grinned and put one arm around Wade's waist and pulled him closer to her.

"Sorry, Jennifer," Wade interjected before Joss could make a comment, "I have a lifetime contract, and I can neither afford the lawyers nor do I want to. Joss is my hero, and I want her for the rest of our lives," and he kissed Joss on the cheek. Joss, of course, blushed at Wade's words.

"Not even a littl' bit of cloning?" Jennifer begged, and Wade shook his head 'no.'

"Kin I be a friend, then?"

"I would be honored, Jennifer. I don't have a lot of friends, and I would love to have you as one; that is, of course, assuming that my girlfriend says it's all right with her," Wade replied. Joss nodded, relieved.

Jen hugged Joss and headed down the stairs, yelling back to Joss "call me later!" and muttering as she left "gotta get me one of those."

Joss heard the front door close, and she grabbed Wade and kissed him hard, pulling him even tighter to her.

Wade didn't complain, but he was confused.

"Don't get me wrong, Sweet Tea: I liked it a lot. But what brought that on?"

"Wade, you're such a man!" Joss whispered.

"Jen tried everything but pull your pants down, and you deflected all of her come-ons, and you did it all so graciously that she wasn't insulted; she was flattered the whole time, and you let her keep her dignity."

"Did I do that?" Wade whined, and Joss giggled.

"Yes, you did, 'Ron,'" Joss replied sweetly, and Wade swatted at her rear end and connected.

"'Ron,' huh?" Wade asked, and headed down the stairs in a dead run followed closely by Joss, swinging one of her own 'pillow WMDs.'

- - - - - - -

**12/21**

"Dad, what are you doing up at this hour?" Wade had come down the hall into the main house kitchen to find his father up and – cooking? At 2:25 in the morning?

"Wade, what are you doing up?" Ryan asked, cracking two eggs deftly one-handed and dropped them into the bowl and tossed the shells into the sink with the disposal.

"I came down for a glass of water, but that's not important," and Ryan chuckled inside, 'that's my boy!'

"No dodging, Dad: What are you doing?"

"Following your lead, son. I talked to Slim on the way here, and –" and Wade grinned.

"Special lunch at the bench, huh?" and Ryan nodded.

"I'll bet it's gonna be cold, though," Wade commented, and Ryan shook his head.

"Cold outside, but only for a bit. Blankets and Tornado's built-in warming tricks," Ryan answered as he lifted the lid on the pot on the stove, bent down and sniffed, and reached for fresh thyme, oregano, and the fresh garlic and green onions that he'd chopped earlier, and then sprinkled them gently over the pot's contents, then stirred and smelled the pot again, then replaced the lid.

'Tornado's built-in warming tricks?' "What'cha making, Dad?"

"Comfort food, son: chicken and dumplings, the way my mother taught me to make them before she passed," and Ryan smiled inwardly as he remembered his times in his mother's kitchen. "Cook the chicken tonight, make the special dumpling mix overnight, let everything set, and come back in the morning and make and mix the full deal, fresh, before placing it in the basket for delivery."

"Maybe I should have talked to you before I took Joss there," Wade smirked, and Ryan grinned.

"I don't know, son: yours look like it worked out pretty good for you," Ryan countered and grinned as Wade smiled dreamily, then Wade looked up at his dad.

"Need some help?" and Ryan smiled inside.

"Sure; let's start," and Ryan and Wade continued preparation of a special meal for the woman that they both loved.

- - - - - - -

"Ryan, if you leave me in this sleigh blindfolded any longer, you'll wish you were married to someone without knives in her studio," Rachel smiled. She wasn't cold: the sleigh seemed to have some sort of radiant heating; it was a comfortable, toasty heat, not a blazing, burning heat, and the blanket that he's placed in her lap before blindfolding her was soft – angora and wool blend, she thought, as she ran her ungloved fingers across the material. However, she was testy: what was he doing, and where were they?

"Coming, my queen," Ryan called from somewhere in front of her. She had heard Wade and Jocelyn after Ryan blindfolded her, but she hadn't heard what they were whispering.

"I've got you, Rach; step out: I opened the door on the side of the sleigh, so you don't have to step over it," Ryan took her hand and guided her to a soft step-down onto a light pack of snow. He directed her steps, warning her when she was about to make a misstep, then guided her to a flat, dry, hard spot for her to step.

"You've sitting down, Rach," and he guided her to a surprisingly soft seat. He then touched her face softly, kissed her cheek, and removed her blindfold to reveal:

"OHMYGOD, Ryan, it's beautiful!"

She first saw the flowers on the tabletop: yellow sunflowers and purple orchids, her favorite flowers, and then she looked up at the scenery framed by the flowers and lit candles:

The Montana landscape was dressed for the season: the canyon that Rachel was looking across was blanketed in snow, and the mountains across the way were dressed in white, evergreen trees and bushes hugging the landscapes, and just the hint of purple. The snow swirled across the mountains, and the swirls appeared as dancers performing for them, alone.

"Ryan, what are you do-EEEEE!" she squealed as he lifted the lid and the aroma attacked her nose.

"Honey, when did you do that?" she squealed again when he dipped his ladle into the container and scooped a ladle-full of the aromatic concoction and added it into the bowl in front of her.

"You made chicken and dumplings?" and she waved her hand over the bowl, waving the aroma at her nose. "OOO, that smells yummy!" and she laughed as he produced a three-foot peppermill.

"Freshly-ground pepper for the lady?" Ryan asked, and she nodded. He gave her the two grinds, then produced a beautifully-prepared side dish of grilled asparagus, serving spears up onto her side plate.

He finally sat down and reached down and produced a bottle of wine, popping the cork and pouring a glass for each of them.

Holding his glass, he proposed a toast as she held her glass up:

"To Stephanie, to Betty, to Jocelyn, to Sheri Nicole, to Claudia Rose, to my beloved Rachel:

"To the women that have helped my son grow and continue to help him grow into the man that he is and is becoming:

"Merry Christmas, Rachel, my forever love, and Thank You for standing beside me all these years," and they clicked glasses and drank, then Rachel held up her glass, and he held his up for her toast:

"To my husband and my son: the two men in my life who has each fought and overcome immeasurable odds to become the men that they are, today.

"When I first met you, Ryan, I had no idea that I'd ended up where I am today: sitting out in the snow in Montana!" and they both laughed, and she continued: "You continued to encourage me when my art didn't sell and I'd lost faith in myself, you supported me when Wade was first born and I was down, and you stood alongside me when we watched, worked, and prayed for Wade to get better, never imagining the day it would happen.

"Merry Christmas, Ryan, and Thank You for standing alongside me on this journey: I know the best is yet to be!" and they clicked glasses and drank deeply.

"Let's see if you've lost your touch," Rachel stated as she picked up her spoon and sampled the chicken and dumplings…

"Honey, you're getting dessert tonight," she smiled sweetly, and Ryan had the proper response:

"BOO-YAH!" and he and Rachel both laughed and started in on lunch.

- - - - - - -

"After that, my love, what's your finale?"

"This," he opened the top of the basket and pulled out two containers.

"Honey, I love you, but if you tell me it's 'Wadeshine,' I swear I'm gonna hurl those containers across the canyon," she added, and Ryan laughed as he held up the blindfold and wagged it.

"Again?" she whined, and he nodded, and she closed her eyes as he added the blindfold to the mix.

She heard him opening containers, setting something down on the table, spooning ingredients and stirring them into dishes.

"Sorry, dear, but there's something a little too 'Oedipal' about me having 'Wadeshine,'" she added, and Ryan almost fell off the bench laughing. He recovered and continued stirring, then put the spoon down with a 'clink' and removed her blindfold, again

"Ryan you didn't?" She giggled, and he nodded.

There was a warming dish in front of her, and it held a mixture of liquids and bananas, and Ryan held a ladle in his hand, hovering above the warming dish.

"Tornado, if you please?"

"Yes, Master Ryan," and Rachel giggled and then was shocked to as a stream of flame arched from behind her head and land perfectly in the ladle, igniting the liquid, which Ryan then skillfully poured the flame into the dish and ignited the contents with a marvelous poof!

Ryan waited for the flames to subside, then served up the dessert to both their dishes.

"For you, milady, Bananas Foster a la Tornado," he stated, "Do not try this with a regular horse," he added, and Rachel laughed. Ryan then sat and handed her a spoon as Rachel grinned, and she scooped up a taste into her mouth, then smiled broadly and leaned over and kissed Ryan, sharing some of the liquid with him.

"Where did you find the banana liquor up here?" She asked as she attacked her dessert.

"Dear, you have a perfectly stocked kitchen, but you've got to see Slim's kitchens: they're to die for! He's got everything, and enough to last for years," Ryan added.

"Well, remember what mouths he has to feed: twenty-somethings in graduate school. I remember how little money we had back then, and I would have killed to have access to someone like Slim that could provide an outlet for my talents and feed me at the same time," Rachel said, then grinned wickedly. "'Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?'"

Ryan was shocked: he had never known or suspected this side of his wife, but he responded quickly:

"'I think so, Brain, but where are we going to find twelve sheep and goats to sheer and milk that aren't celebrating Christmas this time of day, way out here?'" and Rachel shot Bananas Foster a la Tornado across the table and down the canyon.

"You're supremely evil," Rachel said as he dabbed at her lips. Ryan waited for the right moment before he responded:

"Nicht m'oi!" Ryan mixed languages, and Rachel had made the mistake of putting another spoonful in her mouth that now was also heading down the canyon.

"I love you, too, dear, even when you're messy," Ryan replied as he finished his dessert while his wife held her stomach and continued to laugh uncontrollably, sauce dripping down the front of her coat.

Tornado was confused, but he thought that these were also good people. He filed that information into permanent storage and continued to generate and dissipate heat in the diection of the couple.

- - - - - - -

"How did you get Tornado to land that flame in the ladle?" Rachel asked as they had decided to tour the land before returning from their lunch.

'It's helps when you have a robot horse guide with USGS maps digitized in memory," Ryan thought about the tour, then scrunched his face, but Tornado beat him to the punch:

"Intense concentration, and cyber-robotics, Mistress Rachel," and Rachel whacked Ryan across the head with her mittens.

"What'd I do?" Ryan asked, and Rachel answered with a kiss.

- - - - - - -

"So, what'cha think, Rachel?" Joss asked as she opened the door to the sleigh.

"Girl, if that's where Wade took you, you didn't have a chance," Rachel whispered, and Joss grinned.

"I didn't want a chance, Rachel," Joss grinned, and the two women walked away talking.

"Dad, how did we get this lucky, to have the women that we have in our lives?" Wade asked as he had brought the cart to carry the remains from the sleigh back to the kitchen.

"I don't know about you, son, but I planned mine.' Ryan replied as they loaded the cart.

"I did too, after I saw her for the first time," Wade said with a grin.

"Me too, son, me too," Ryan replied as they pushed the cart back, then Ryan stopped and walked back to the sleigh and patted Tornado.

"Tornado?"

"Yes, Master Ryan?"

"Thank you, Tornado."

"You're quite welcome, Master Ryan," and Ryan returned to Wade as they headed back to the kitchen and Tornado headed back to the 'barn.'

The door to the kitchen had just closed when a car pulled into the ranch front gate.

- - - - - - -

Slim was standing behind the door when the knocking started.

"Who is it?" he asked in a high-pitched voice.

"It's the librarian with new books," the person on the other side of the door replied, and Slim flung the door open.

"Hello, Slim," Betty barely got the words out of her mouth as Slim pulled her into the house and kissed her passionately, their tongues dancing in each other's mouths.

After what seemed like a few minutes, a voice from behind Slim cleared her throat.

"Are y'all gonna play tonsil hockey all afternoon, or is one of y'all gonna close the door: you're heatin' the outdoors." Joss grinned as Slim and Betty turned to face her. "Hi, Betty," Joss continued as she ran and hugged her and her dad.

"Yes, 'Mother,'" Betty replied as she reached behind her and closed the door, then reached up and grabbed Slim's face and kissed him again. Joss laughed into the adult sandwich that she was in.

"Get a room, you two," Wade recommended as he walked up from the kitchen.

"That's the idea," Betty replied, and Slim blushed, and Betty thought for a moment –

"Wade, you're evil," she grinned, and the two of them laughed. "I meant for my luggage, and for me to sleep in, by myself," she added, and Wade grinned even more.

"What's that smell, Slim? It's heavenly."

"Fresh sourdough bread bakin' for dinner tonight; I shore hope y'all like buffalo steaks," Slim stated and got his answer as they all smiled.

- - - - - - -

"Slim, that dinner was exquisite!" Rachel walked from the small dining room into the large dining hall, and Slim led them back to a familiar corner.

Slim had almost gone into shock when Betty came down the stairs, before dinner, in the LRD with sheer silk stockings and 3-inch red heels, and Wade laughed as his dad stood, looking totally agog, as Rachel and Joss both contemplated breaking several laws, both Federal and international, by killing Betty. He had partially recovered and was escorting Betty by the arm, and Betty felt, well, amazing as she felt the warmth in Slim's hand when he touched hers.

"This is where it started, Rachel," Slim motioned for Rachel and Ryan to sit, and they sat where Kim and Ron sat, before. Slim and Betty sat where they were before, and Betty smoothed her dress front as Slim slipped off of the couch and almost fell to the floor. Joss and Wade sat in their spots, Joss now grinning at her dad's predicament. Slim made it back to the couch and looked over at a Mona-Lisa-like Betty.

"It seems like years ago, Daddy," Joss spoke to break the silence.

"It was, Sweet Tea, far too many years ago, when Ah lost you, and only yesterday when you found your way back, thanks to a certain Hero ah know," Slim smiled and took Betty's hand and squeezed it, fighting temptation to move from hand to leg.

"It's the same for me, Slim," Wade said as he kissed Joss' cheek. "It was years ago when I stepped out of that jet and was sure I was facing an angel," and Joss blushed as Rachel and Ryan chuckled.

"I wasn't sure how long I'd make it here before I had to go back," Wade added, and Rachel gripped her husband's hand, 'but the longer I was here, the more I knew that Joss needed me, and I needed Joss, so I couldn't leave. Then, we had that fight that morning, and I had almost finished packing to go home when you came in, Slim, and talked to me.

"Then you came in, Betty," and he looked at her and smiled, and not at her attire, "and you hinted at the difficulties on the path if I took it, but I decided that she needed me, and I chose to take the walk with Joss. I didn't know that that choice would do as much for me as it did for her," he added as Joss kissed his cheek.

"Slim, I want to let you know my intentions towards your daughter," Wade stood and faced Slim, and Slim looked at him quizzically and dropped his hands into his lap.

"I love Jocelyn, and she loves me. We aren't going to do anything until we get much older, maybe even 18 or 19, but I wanted you to know that I will help her in any way I can, and we are going to continue training for our plans and work toward our goals. I will wait for her until she graduates from college before we get married. I'll only ask her formally after I've come back and talked to you, sir.

"I thought you should know my plans, our plans, sir," and Wade sat back down and squeezed Joss' hand.

"Wade, Ah trust you," Slim stated calmly as he took Betty's hand.

"Your parents and Ah have talked: we trust y'all, but we'll make sure y'all don't have any reasons to lose our trust.

"You have mah greatest gift: mah daughter, and Ah trust you with her life.

"Thank you for givin' me mah daughter back, Wade, and don' disappoint me," Slim smiled.

"If not, Ah'll hav'ta get Squirt to loan me one'a his probes," Slim grinned, and the whole room laughed.

As the laughter died down, they embraced the silence, the falling snow making little noise on the roof, and the small, quiet cries were the sounds of the final demons dying…all but one demon that was holding tenuously onto Slim, but Slim knew it was there, and he was planning its death on Christmas Eve, having seen the LRD, once again.

- - - - - - -

**12/22**

"Daddy, didn' you and Betty sleep together, last night?" Joss asked, and she caused Slim to shoot coffee partway across the room.

"Darlin, you're way too young to know 'bout things like that," Slim said, then thought for a moment.

"Well, Ah guess you aren't," he answered himself, and stood there as Betty came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Slim, Joss," she spoke as she headed for a cabinet, then stopped.

"Where are the tea bags, Slim?" and he pointed to a cabinet. "Thank you," she answered as she retrieved a box, removed a tea bag, and poured herself a cup of hot water from the dispenser and dropped the tea bag into the water.

"Anything happening today?" Betty asked, and Joss laughed as Slim sputtered.

"So, Joss, what did you get for Wade for Christmas?" Betty asked, and Joss smiled and fought tears.

"Betty," and she lost it and fell into Betty, sobbing.

Slim looked around for a knife or a phone, and Betty held up her hand.

"Joss, did he hurt you?"

"UH-UH," came from underneath the hair, and Slim stood down.

"Did he rock your world, Joss?"

"UH-HUH," and she lifted her face and revealed the tear-framed smile. "He saw the picture that Ah wanted to copy for him, and he told me that that picture would be almost everything he wanted for Christmas, and then he told me that he had everything that he wanted for Christmas, Betty.

"All he wants for Christmas is mah love, Betty; how can Ah deal with a man like that?" and she started crying tears of joy, again, and Betty held her and Slim knew that, unless Wade had a major personality shift, he was definitely going to be a great son-in-law.

"I already made him a print of the picture, Betty," Joss grinned thru her tears, "and I got him a copy of the picture of us in our swimsuits," and Betty grinned real big, "and I'm giving him the key to my heart, but he already has that," Joss's smile grew bigger, and Betty and Slim both smiled.

'Young love,' was the thought in both their minds, and they both had a fleeting idea that they dismissed immediately.

"And, I made him a very special present that I think he'll really like, if I know my Wade," she said, seriously, then she bounced back to her excited mood.

"Daddy, kin I give Wade his presents today before we go to Middleton?"

"You kin, Joss, but Wade might want to save some of them for Christmas morning when you open your gifts from him," and a light bulb suddenly went off in Joss' head.

"OHMYGOD! I never thought about what Wade was gonna give me for Christmas!" Joss panicked.

"What am I gonna wear on Christmas morning?" she asked, and Betty smiled: 'gotta look good for him, she's already thinking….'

"Joss, let's go upstairs and look thru some of your stuff: I'm sure we can find the right outfit for Christmas morning," Betty wrapped her arm around Joss' shoulder, and she picked up her tea in the other hand as the two women went out of the kitchen and headed upstairs. "Besides, you need to start packing, anyway, for Middleton.

"OHMYGOD! I forgot about the trip, Betty? Will you hep me pack?"

"Of course, Joss," and their voices faded into the loft.

'Betty, I knew you'd be a great Momma2, as Joss put it….a momma," Slim thought for a moment. "Sheri Nicole and I always thought about having a brother for Joss, hmmmm…" and Slim's thoughts went south, again.

- - - - - - -

"Slim, I don't want to intrude, but where's your tree?" Ryan asked as he came into the kitchen looking for coffee.

"Not an intrusion, Ryan: The big'un is in the Command Center, and mine and Joss' is in mah study. We used to put the tree in the livin' room, but…" and Ryan nodded.

"Command Center?" Ryan asked, and Slim perked up.

"Y'all saw that bland-lookin' building nex' to the house?" and Ryan nodded.

"Well, that's where Wade's room went last summer," and Ryan had an 'ah-hah' moment.

"Where's Rachel? Y'all need to see what your son did last summer," and Ryan and Slim both laughed at the reference.

"What who did last summer?" Rachel chose that moment to walk in, and Slim whistled approvingly.

"Why, thank you, kind sir," Rachel curtsied, and both men laughed.

"Rachel, you could stop traffic in Downtown Billings in Rush Hour in that dress," Slim stated honestly, and Rachel was glad he couldn't see her embarrassment ninja assault.

"Rach, do you want to see where Wade's room went?" and she nodded vigorously.

"Y'all don' need your coats: we're jus' goin' acroxt the way to the Command Center," as Slim slipped on his hat.

"That's not a 'Silly Hat,' is it?" Ryan asked innocently, and Slim guffawed.

"'Command Center?'" Rachel asked, and Slim smiled.

"Wade was busy," Slim said as he opened the door for them to walk over to the Command Center.

- - - - - - -

"Wade did all this?" Rachel asked as they rode the elevator down to level 5.

"Well, Wade designed the interior for all the levels except level 3: that's where my labs are movin' to out of the house, and that move's finishin' up today. The level we're goin' to is the computer room, as it's laughin'ly called," and the elevator door opened, and Rachel understood.

"This was Wade's room, all right; well, at least part of this was," Rachel laughed. "Now you know why I wanted it all out of the house. The server farm alone drove the power company crazy trying to understand our power utilization in the middle of a residential neighborhood," and the door closed and the elevator rose one level, and the door opened onto a calm waiting area with three doors.

"A fully-equipped gym, separate workout areas for different disciplines, including a firin' range and armory, and livin' quarters are down here," Slim stated, and they stepped out to see a young man and woman exiting the workout area. They waved at Slim and went into the door that was labeled 'Quarters.'

"How many people do you have here, Slim?"

"On a normal week, we're staffed at around 20-25; since it's Christmas, most of them have headed home; there are a few who live here full-time now, when they're not in school, so Ah have someone on site at all times."

"Why the firing range?"

"Ah needed a place to teach Sweet Tea to shoot, and Ah didn't want to do it above-ground. This worked out perfect, when Ah started diggin' into what was down here," Slim replied, and they looked down the hall at the living quarters, then closed the door and went back to the elevator.

"There's not much on the other two floors: Mah labs, lak Ah said, are on the next level, and Wade's R&D labs are on the first level below ground," he said as the elevator door closed and they rose to the mail floor. "The main floor is where the most of the action is," and the elevator door opened to the lobby, and they stepped out and walked up to a door. Slim palmed the reader, and the door slid open.

"wow," was their only response.

"Wow, is right, Ryan," and he let them stare into the Command Center.

"There's only four people on duty this week over the holidays, but they can call in others as needed."

"Why would they need to?"

"If a request for information comes in from Montana's DCI that they can't handle, help can be called in.

"Montana DCI? You're already on-line with them?"

"You betcha, Rachel," Slim replied. "DCI loves us and your son's algorithms; they've already shut down some small dealers, and they're workin' on other items, as well.

"Excuse me, Slim?" a striking blonde woman in a smartly-tailored business suit flashed her badge: Montana DCI. "Have these people been cleared?"

"I'm sorry, Melisandretti, I didn't mean'ta bypass ya. These are Wade's parents, Dr. and Dr. Load. Rachel and Ryan, this is Melisandretti Claremore, the on-duty agent from Montana DCI."

"Dr. Load's parents?" Melisandretti closed her badge with a flick. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you two. You have a remarkable son, and he's doing great work for our state. Thank you for allowing him to work with us," she shook both their hands.

"No big, Ms. Claremore," Rachel replied, and Melisandretti laughed.

"It's Mel, please. You two are definitely Wade's parents; either that, or Kimberly's adopted," Mel grinned, and Rachel and Ryan both laughed.

"We'll not bother you anymore, Mel," Ryan said. "We just wanted to see what our son was up to this summer," and she smiled a huge smile.

"Oh, Wade has a reputation with DCI from this summer," she grinned.

"We know, Mel," and they all laughed.

"Nice to meet you, Mel," Rachel said as they left the Command Center.

"Nice to meet you two, as well, Doctors Load," Mel giggled, and Slim stayed behind for a second.

"Mel, Jocelyn and I are goin' to Middleton for Christmas. Mi casa es su casa," he stated with a bad Montana/Spanish accent, and Mel laughed.

"Enjoy your time there, Slim," and he left the room.

'Damn, he's go a cute butt!' Mel thought. 'Head in the game, Mel: besides, you've got your own hunk at home,' and she went back to reviewing analysis that Wade had developed.

'This is incredible work...' she muttered as she made notes on the documents. 'How did he do this; it's not possible…,' and she thought for a second and laughed out loud, startling the others in the Command Center.

Her laugh was interrupted by her cell ringing. She flipped it open.

"Claremore. Que pasa?," she spoke.

Silence.

"Where are they?"

Silence.

"Does DEA have a force available, and do we?"

Silence.

"Go in 5 unless they move before that, then go immediately, and call me with what you find. Call DEA and tell them, after we've secured the facility."

Silence.

"Good hunting! Claremore out," and she flipped her phone shut.

- - - - - - -

"Can you believe it, Ryan?" Rachel asked as she placed the last of her clothes in her suitcase.

"Believe what, dear?" Ryan called out from the bathroom, and he came out with his shaving gear and toothbrush.

"This complex, Ryan: this is bigger and better organized than I ever imagined."

"Well, he is our son, Rachel," and she snorted as he placed the final items in his gym bag and zipped it shut.

"And, she is a Possible, Rachel so imagine the 'Possibilities,'" and he ducked as the pillow went over his head.

"But, Ryan: drug dealers?" Rachel asked. "What if they find out who he is or what he's doing?"

"And, that's different from Shego and her glowing hands, how?" He asked, and answered as he walked over to her and held her in his arms. "Rachel, our boy's so much older than we give him credit for. Between what's happened to him and working with Kim, he's seen the worst of man and the best of man, and he knows what to do with both," he added, then grinned.

"He certainly knows what to do with Jocelyn," and Rachel whacked him on the back of the head.

"What? He knows how to treat a woman properly, and how not to take advantage of her, and, even more importantly, why."

"He had a good tutor, husband of mine," Rachel replied and kissed him.

'Better get going: the ride from the airport wasn't short."

- - - - - - -

"Same room, different Wade," Wade said to himself as he looked around one more time, suitcase and backpack, once again in hand.

"I left her not knowing when or if I'd be back, but hoping for the best.

"Now, I know," and his soliloquy was interrupted by a knock on the door.

He opened the door and found Joss, standing there, her blue eyes, shining. She was wearing her travel clothes and her tall boots, and he whistled approvingly.

"Miss me?" he smirked, and she answered him with a hug.

"If you're not by my side, Wade, Ah miss you," she replied as she pulled back and smiled.

"That deserves a kiss," and Wade pulled he close and kissed her.

"Ah like your style, guy," she said as he released her and she stepped into the room.

"What brought you down here?"

"Ah'm ready to go, and Ah jus' thought Ah'd come down and see you, again," she responded.

"That, and Ah wanted to give you this, in private," and she handed him a small envelope.

"G'wan, open it," she encouraged him, and Wade opened the end of the envelope and poured out –

"A key, Jocelyn?" and she smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Wade: it's a copy of the one you already have, my hero: the key to my heart," she replied, and Wade's heart flipped twice, and his brain almost shirt-circuited, and his ego shot thru the roof, and he didn't know what else to say except:

"Thank you, Jocelyn. I will carry it with me, always," and he pulled a chain from around his neck that held a locket.

"What's that, Wade?"

"A locket," and he tried to dodge the next question while he unhooked the clasp and placed the key on the chain.

"What's in it?"

"Pictures," and he wasn't successful as Joss reached for it.

"No," he pushed her hand away, and he opened it and turned it to face her.

There was a picture of his Mom and Dad on one side, and a picture of a redheaded teenager on the other side.

"Joss, I can't get rid of it, even for you," and Wade looked up at her, struggling not to cry. "I can't throw Stephanie away," he said softly and he looked down and spoke:

"If you want me to leave because of that, I'll understand," and he closed the locket and went to put it in his pocket.

"No, Wade," Joss responded just as quietly, and she took the hand with the locket and held it. "I don't want to replace Stephanie, and I don't want you to throw her away.

"I wouldn't want you to throw me away, either," she added as she took the chain and placed it around his neck, then kissed the locket.

"I'll take real good care of him, Stephanie," she said quietly, and looked up to see a smiling Wade,

"And, that's why you're my hero," Wade stated as he pulled her to him and kissed her.

"Let's go, hero," Wade announced, and he slung his backpack on his back, picked up his suitcase, and offered his arm after he turned off the light and received a surprise kiss on the cheek.

"Middleton, here we come," Joss announced, sweetly.

"Lock your store doors: a shopping Possible is coming back to town," Wade replied as Joss pulled the door shut.

"OW!" came from Wade on the other side of the door.

- - - - - - -

"Kim?" Betty had called her from her room, using her cell.

Silence.

"Get any work in, with Ron around?"

Silence.

"Are we still on?"

Silence.

"I'll meet you Christmas Eve afternoon, and we'll work on it."

Silence.

"Thanks, Kim."

Silence.

"Yes, it is Big, Kim: you're going to make several people very happy, including me," she added.

Silence.

"OK; see you then. Goodbye, and thanks, again," and Betty flipped her cell shut.

'Talk about rocking someone's world!' Betty chuckled to herself as she picked up her suitcase and left the room, tuning off the light as she left.

- - - - - - -

"Daddy, what did you pack?" Joss kicked his suitcase, and it didn't budge.

"Nuthin' Ah didn' need, Sweet Tea," Slim replied, and Joss snorted.

"Ah already shipped the presents yesterday, so Ah just have mah clothes and hats," Slim added, 'and a littl' sump'in extra for Betty!' Slim smiled inside.

"Escape Flight 1145 to Denver, with connections to Colorado Springs and Middleton is now boarding," the announcement came, and the group moved en masse to the boarding ramp.

'Here we go,' Wade thought as he pulled Joss closer to him, and he looked at the teenage boy walking away from them that had a disgusted look on his face and mouthed something, then a look of recognition as he looked at Joss. Joss gasped, and she hugged Wade tighter.

"Who was that?" Wade asked as they took their seats.

"Part of my past, Wade, part of my past," Joss replied, sadly, as she tried to figure out what Carl Butler had mouthed at her as he walked past, but chalked it up to the 'not important' list and snuggled into her seat and her hero as the plane's engines began to spin and attacked the darkening evening sky.

- - - - - - -

Author's afterward:

The schedule for publishing chapters 3-5 is below and in my profile:

Chapter 3 – 12/23

Chapter 4 – 12/24

Chapter 5 – 12/25

Slim would still tell you that he has his gifts (especially after the LRD), as would Betty….but, that's not important…. And Joss' and Wade's presents: well, wait and see….Betty and Kim are cooking up a surprise (now, the fear is: is it figurative or literal cooking from Kim). Our next story begins after they wake up in Middleton on December 23: next, in chapter 3 of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory – 12.23: Home for Christmas….**

Thanks again for reading, and please review.


	3. Chapter 3 – Home for Christmas…

Blue Eyes, Shining 4: Paint Me a Christmas Memory

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time). This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

**A/N Forward: **

We're waking up in Middleton, two days before Christmas, and things are going to get interesting….

Presents are being shipped and wrapped, and for the first time in a long time all of the Load presents will be under a single tree (Lucky won't be lonely…). Everyone is waking up happy because they smell breakfast cooking, on December 23: next, in chapter 3 of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory – 12.23: Home for Christmas….**

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

**Chapter 3 – 12/23: Home for Christmas….**

- - - - - - -

**12/23**

Rachel thought she was dreaming.

She sniffed, and decided that she wasn't dreaming.

Someone was cooking something heavenly!

She smelled coffee, just the way she liked it: strong enough, as Slim described to her, 'to put hair on Tornado.'

She smelled eggs and some flavor of bacon that she's not had before, but it smelled wonderful.

Was it onions and some kind of peppers and garlic that she smelled, also? Interesting combinations, cooking up.

'I hope it's not Kim doing the cooking: we don't have that much homeowners' insurance,' she giggled at the thought of Kim cooking breakfast, then shuddered.

The best and most important past: she wasn't the one up and cooking it!

She reached over to shake Ryan and found an empty spot.

'How sweet: He's making me breakfast! Wonder if I can get this on a regular basis, every day, not just at Christmas,' she grinned inside as she rolled out of bed and padded to the shower, grabbing panties out of one of her drawers before she went into the bathroom and locked the door.

Rachel turned on the shower and let her nightgown drop to the floor, kicking it up and catching it in mid-air,

'Still got game, girlfriend,' she thought after she bent over backward and touched the floor, then bent forward and did the same. 'You may not be Betty, but you've still got game!' she giggled to herself.

She reached in, checked the water temperature, and stepped into the shower.

- - - - - - -

Betty knew she was dreaming.

Someone was cooking in her apartment; no wait, she wasn't in her apartment; she was at the Load's house. Hallelujah!

Their flight had been delayed twice due to bad weather ('I'm never flying a puddle-jumper again,' she thought as they took off into the crosswinds, 'unless I'm piloting!'), and they had finally landed around 1:15 AM. Ryan had insisted that she stay at their place rather than taking a cab or the tube to her apartment, and she had agreed with remarkably little fuss.

'Could it have been because Slim was playing with my leg while Ryan asked the question?' She grinned as she remembered his first touch: electric.

Someone was cooking something heavenly!

She smelled coffee, just the way she liked it: Navy coffee, strong enough to put hair on a midshipwoman's elbows.

She smelled eggs and three or four different kinds of bacon grilling.

She smelled habaneros and red onions and garlic chopped, not mashed or out of a bottle…

'I could get used to this,' Betty thought as she swung her legs out of bed. 'Now: which way…there! Shower, here I come!' and she threw off her negligee, kicked off her panties and trotted into the bath.

'Rachel, you're a wonderful hostess,' Betty thought as she surveyed the array of bath beads sets. 'But, breakfast calls,' and she turned on the shower and stepped in after checking and adjusting the water temperature. 'I may not be Rachel, but I sure got Slim's attention,' she grinned as she proceeded to lather up.

- - - - - - -

Joss was dreaming, again.

Wade was rubbing lotion on her back, and he was teasing her and slipping an occasional finger under the swimsuit straps on her back.

Joss wasn't complaining

She was in heaven. His fingers expertly removed all of the tension from her back muscles, and she moaned as the pain left her back.

He leaned over and placed a dark-chocolate-dipped strawberry to her lips, and she sucked on it for a moment, and then bit.

It was delicious.

Wade waved his finger in front of her face, and she grinned.

'**My** kinda chocolate,' she thought as she stretched forward for the finger, and…

"…and the temperature outside is a brisk 23 degrees at 7:17 with snow flurries falling on this December 23rd, two days before Christmas, so I hope you've got all your Christmas shopping done by now, folks, because that storm's coming" and she yelled as her dream was so rudely interrupted by the alarm clock and the announcer.

She took a deep breath to wake up, and she grinned: somebody was cooking something wonderful!

She smelled coffee, and she loved the smell, and she didn't even like the taste of coffee!

She smelled eggs and bacon and hash browns and the hint of tortillas, She had never heard of the flatbread until a few years ago, but she loved it now almost to the exclusion of any other bread; well, except for her Daddy's homemade sourdough….

She smelled peppers and onions and garlic, and she wondered what was coming next.

'I guess I'll only figger it out if I get up,' she thought as she hopped out of bed, carefully removed her Wade-shirt (as she called it; she remembered the grin on Betty's face when she'd told her about her sleepwear, and Betty had surprised her with a big hug and encouraged her to 'pilfer another when she was in Middleton; or, better yet, ask Wade for one: "You'll have him so much more hooked, Jocelyn!" Betty had said) and folded it after she kissed the collar, then scampered into the bath for a shower.

'Mama Rachel, I love you,' Joss thought when she saw her favorite shampoo and soap in the caddy. She turned on the shower and stepped in after checking and adjusting the water temperature. 'Guess I'd better not sing this mornin'; no tellin' who's awake by now.'

- - - - - - -

"Good morning, Rachel.

"Good morning, Betty. Sleep well?"

"Wonderfully, thank you. Hello, Joss.

"Hi, Betty, Rachel.

"If y'all are up here, who's a'cookin'?"

"Dear God in heaven, please don't let it be Kim," Betty prayed out loud, and Rachel ran down the hall followed closely by Betty and Joss.

- - - - - - -

It wasn't Kim, and Betty breathed a sigh of relief.

The surprise was almost as great, however: it was Ryan, Slim, and Wade in the kitchen.

Bigger surprise: the kitchen didn't look like it had gone 10 rounds with MonkeyFist; the kitchen was so clean, it looked like Ron had been there.

The table was set and had flowers: red, yellow, and white roses, and sunflowers and orchids. The kitchen was clean, and steam was rising from the food on top of the stove.

Wade came around the corner wearing a chef's hat and coat, opened the oven, and waved his hand toward him as if to bring the aroma from the oven to his nose.

Rachel cleared her throat, and Wade turned around, not having seen them lurking in the shadows.

"Good morning, ladies," he smiled, and Joss laughed.

"Wade, where'd you git that outfit?"

"No breakfast for you, little missy, if you're gonna have that attitude," Wade scolded and grinned.

"Did you do all of this, Wade?"

"Na, Betty; we all did," and Slim came out with Ryan, and their outfits both matched Wade's outfit.

"We figgered that you ladies deserved a break from the cookin' so we've got'cha covered past Christmas," Slim shoo'ed them into chairs and plopped a napkin into Betty's lap, then started to tuck it with a grin on his face.

"Slim," Betty smiled, and he moved his hands away quickly.

"For breakfast today, we have made-to-order omelettes or traditional scrambled eggs with non-traditional minced garlic and onions and peppers…" and Slim went on to describe the menu as Wade and Ryan brought food to the table. No one waited for the omelettes.

- - - - - - -

"Rachel, your tree's divine!" Betty had seen it in the daylight for the first time this morning.

"Thank you, Betty, but this is mostly Ryan and Wade," and Rachel's voice had a catch in it, but she went on. "It's been a long time..." and she couldn't go on this time, and Joss hugged her.

"It's ok to cry when you're happy, Rachel," Joss said calmly, and Rachel was so surprised that she started laughing. Betty joined in, and very soon all three of them were laughing away pain.

"Wade used to love to decorate the tree," Rachel reminisced when they had all finally calmed from the laughter. "It was so much fun watching him place the ornaments at the proper spacing to get the most reflective light from the balls and tinsel and lights in the tree and the room.

"Look at all the presents!" Joss exclaimed and immediately dove in, looking for her name.

"Joss, before you do that, you should really bring your presents out," Betty suggested.

"I would, Betty, but Daddy shipped them all two days ago. They're supposed to be here this mornin'" Joss told her.

DING-DING-DI-DING!

"He didn't?" Betty asked, and Rachel sadly nodded.

"They're here, Rachel," and Joss flung the door open to reveal the Escape delivery team with boxes behind them.

They made short work of the delivery, and Joss and Betty and Rachel made short work of the boxes, unpacking them and placing the presents all around the tree.

The phone rang right after they'd finished placing the last present; Rachel answered it.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Who?"

Silence, with a frown.

"How bad?"

Silence, and she scrunched her face.

"All right; just a moment," and she put the phone away from her face.

"Joss?" and Joss looked up from where she sat next to the tree, and Rachel walked over to her with the phone.

"Joss, it's Jennifer, and she's got some bad news: Fletcher's hurt," and Joss levitated up and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Joss?" the female voice on the other end was trying to hold it together, but she wasn't winning.

"Jen? What happened?"

"Joss, it's Fletcher Benge: the police found him in a drug house when they raided it last night, and he's hurt, bad.

"He has cracked ribs and something wrong with his head. Joss, they say he's gonna need surgery! Where are we gonna find somebody who's willing to help him, especially if they think he's a druggie?

"Jen, slow down. Where is he?"

"He's at Billings Memorial. Joss, Becky's in love with him, and she swears that he wasn't doing drugs, but he was selling before you talked to him earlier this year, and he quit back then."

"Just a minute," and she covered the mouthpiece on the phone and yelled:

"WADE!"

Wade came running, PosComm in hand.

"Joss, what's wrong?"

"Can you connect to Billings Memorial and find out what's wrong with Fletcher Benge?"

"Your friend that you told me about?" he was talking as he attacked the PosComm.

"Yes; he's got cracked ribs, and Jen's not sure what else.

"Got it…this isn't good," and he beeped Kim.

Kim's picture popped up. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

"Can I talk to your mom, Kim? Emergency."

"Just a sec," and the Kimmunicator went blank for a few seconds, then Dr. Anne Possible appeared on the screen.

"What's the sitch, Wade?" and she laughed. "I always wanted to say that. Sorry, Wade, you said emergency."

"I've got a skull fracture," and Joss gasped and grabbed Wade's arm, "with swelling on the brain. Who do you know in Billings that's good?"

"I know a doctor in Billings who's very good; I've worked with her, before. You want me to call her?"

"My turn, Mrs. Dr. P: 'Please, and thank you.' It's a friend of Joss' who was beat up by drug dealers, and he tests negative for everything, so there's no problems, there. He's also got four cracked ribs and two broken arms and a broken tibula," and Joss visibly winced and came over to Wade, pulling Betty by the arm.

"Hold on, Wade. I'll call my contact up there and see if she's been pulled in," and Anne handed the Kimmunicator back to Kim.

"Is Joss ok, Wade?"

"What do you think, Kim? Wade snarled, then retreated. "Sorry, Kim, I shouldn't have done that."

"It's all right, Wade," she smiled. "I've done it enough times at you."

"I'll be back in a sec," and he turned to a frightened Joss, who by now was holding onto both his and Betty's arms.

"Joss, they really did a number on him," Wade told her. "We're looking for the best brain surgeon in Montana, and they've already worked on his ribs and the other breaks. They don't know anything yet," and Anne came back online.

"Wade, she's in New York, and the next closest person is two states away," and Joss broke into tears.

"Joss, it's me, and I'm grabbing my bag to head up there. I've already talked to the hospital, and they're expecting me.

"Betty, can you get me a ride?"

"Will will be there in 5 minutes, Anne. Thank you, Anne: I know it's Christmas, but-" and Anne waved her off.

"No big, Betty," and she laughed again. "I always wanted to say that, too," as Betty was dialing the GJX HOTLINE on her cell, then punching in her command code to get to HAOD (hot agent on duty).

"It may be Christmas, but it won't be for that young man it I don't do my job," and Anne handed the Kimmunicator back to Kim.

"Tell Joss I'll be praying for her friend," Kim added, and Wade nodded.

"Thanks, Kim."

"That's what partners are for, Wade: to help each other," and she smiled as she cut the connection.

"Joss, Anne's going up to help Fletcher," and Joss grabbed Wade and hugged him, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Thank you, Wade," she said into his shoulder, and Wade tentatively put his arms around her and hugged her.

"I've got to call Jen and tell her," Joss finally spoke.

"What's the number?" Wade asked as he put the PosComm in cell mode and dialed the digits that Joss gave him, then handed the PosComm to her.

"Hello, Jen?" as she took the PosComm out of speaker mode.

"Joss? What happened?"

"Wade found out what Fletch's condition was, and Aunt Anne's coming up.

"Who's Aunt Anne - wait, you mean Kim Possible's mom?"

"The very same: she's a surgeon, and she can help Fletch."

"Joss, his parents can't afford her!" and Wade shook his head; he could hear enough of the conversation to feel Jen's pain and concern, and he took it away with one act.

Wade touched her shoulder. Joss turned, and Wade gave her the OK sign, and Joss took his other hand in hers and squeezed.

"Tell his parents not to worry: it's taken care of, Jen."

"How?"

"Wade: Ah told you he was good for somethin'," and Joss grinned.

"Wade's paying for it?" Jen sounded surprised and shocked.

"Don't tell Fletch's parents; if they have to know anything, tell them you don' know and to call me."

"Joss, are you sure I can't clone him?" Jen begged.

"Sorry, Jen; he's mine, and there's a 'no copy' clause on my boyfriend," and Joss grinned even bigger.

"Wait 'til Becky finds out!"

"No, Jen, don't tell Becky either. Tell her to call me if she has to know, but I won't tell her unless Fletch's parents say it's ok," Joss was almost commanding, and Wade and Betty looked at her, more than a little surprised.

"Ok, Joss, but I owe your BFBF a big kiss the next time I see him," Jen offered.

"How 'bout I deliver that for you, Jen?"

"Awww, shucks, Joss. You can't blame me for tryin,' can you?

"Tell Wade 'thank you' from me, anyway."

"I'll sure do that, Jen. I'll call you if we learn anything."

"Thank you, Joss, for everything," and she cut the call, and Joss grabbed Wade and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you, Wade," she finally smiled back at a very satisfied and smiling Wade.

"What was that for?" Wade asked, and Rachel wanted to hear the answer to that question.

"I wuz jus' deliverin' a 'thank you' from Jen," Joss explained, and Wade grinned.

"Can I collect on that, first-hand, when we go back?" and Joss whacked at his arm as he ran out of the room, with Joss on his heels.

"What just happened?" Rachel asked.

"I think that Wade tried to change Joss' eye color, Rachel."

"?"

"From blue to green," Betty added, and Rachel laughed as the women headed out in search of Wade's remains.

- - - - - - -

Wade's PosComm beeped, and he pulled it up to reveal DCI's Melisandretti Claremore, her hair up in a bun and a pencil sticking out of it.

"Mel! Are you calling me about the raid last night, or are you looking for a date?" he grinned. "Hopefully, not dressed like that," he added, and Mel responded.

"WADE! I'm telling my husband," she grinned, then asked: "How did you know about the raid?"

"The young man you found beaten?"

"Fletcher Benge? He was pretty beat up when we found him."

"I know; I looked at the reports. Anne Possible is coming up to do the skull work on him; they've got everything else covered, but their 'head' woman is in New York.

"How did you…never mind; anything's 'Possible,' right?" and she grinned.

"You got it, Mel. He's clean, right?"

"Yea; he was collecting information on them; he was coming to talk to us the next day when they decided to beat him senseless. We went in on another tip about 30 minutes after they finished with him; if we'd known what was happening, we'd have gone in earlier," she added. "Is he gonna make it?"

"Don't know, but I'll let you know, Mel."

"We've got someone up there on guard at the hospital, so I'll get info, as well.

"How did you find out about him, Wade?"

"He was a friend of Jocelyn Possible's before this school year, but that changed," he replied.

"Glad to hear she's not hooked up with him, or they might be coming after her.

"We picked up another student in the raid, Wade: a Carl Butler. We've got him for both possession of automatic weapons and of crystal meth over one ounce. Name ring any bells?"

"Bingo," Wade attacked the PosComm; "that likely explains who and why they beat Fletcher.

"Why?"

"He was in that pack with Joss and one other young lady, Mel. Carl probably fingered him to cover himself when Fletcher showed up and then tried to talk his way out of it."

"That answers a lot, Wade: we couldn't find the connection other than they were at the same school.

"Thanks, Wade."

"If you hear anything, Mel,"

"I'll beep you, Wade," and she smiled. "Thanks, 'hero,'" and she grinned and cut the connection.

"Are you seeing other women, Wade?" a voice came from behind him, and he turned.

"Joss, there are no other women that could compare, so why would I go for second-rate?"

"Oooo, that'll get you some kisses," and Joss assaulted Wade with kisses.

Wade didn't complain.

- - - - - - -

Betty's cell beeped, and she flipped it open.

"Go, Will."

Silence.

"Good. Thanks, Will."

Silence.

"Yes, she's a very intelligent woman, but I wouldn't push James Possible."

Silence.

"Yes, she's definitely older than you, Will, and she's happily married."

Silence.

"Great. Come on back, and we'll work out the pickup later," and she closed her cell.

"What was that, Betty?" Wade asked, and Betty smiled.

"Will's smitten with Anne," she laughed.

"It's those 'Possible' women, Betty…and some Possible men, I imagine," and Wade grinned wickedly.

"WADE!" and Betty smiled inside.

- - - - - - -

"Hello? Middleton Jewelers?

Silence.

"Slim Possible. Did mah transfers from Montana come in?

Silence.

"Are mah items ready for pickup?"

Silence.

"Great. Ah'll be in shortly to pick'em up.

Silence.

"Thank you," and he cut his connection.

'Rock time,' Slim thought as he smiled inside and headed out of the house for the nearest tube.

- - - - - - -

"What time is it, Wade?"

"4:45, Joss."

"Any news?"

"Nothing yet."

"Wade, kin I sit with you?"

"You have to ask?" And he pulled another chair up to his desk, and Joss sat in it and then moved it closer so she could reach Wade.

"Wade?" she looked at him with a sad Puppy-Dog Pout.

"Yes, Joss?" he hated Genetics….

"I'm scared, Wade. Hold me?" and he stood and offered his hand. She stood up, and he wrapped his arms around her and held her as she released her fears onto Wade, and his shirt and shoulder both quickly became damp.

- - - - - - -

"Doctor, please! How is he? Is Fletcher OK?" Becky asked Dr. Anne Possible as she pulled off her mask and cap, shook her hair out, and smiled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Benge:

"Fletcher's in recovery," and Mrs. Benge grabbed her husband and hugged him, crying all the time.

"He had severe swelling on his brain from the blunt-force trauma, but we were able to relieve the pressure successfully. The surgeon here in Billings was in New York, and she's on her way back and will be here this evening. I'll go over everything with her when she arrives as well as leave the video and data capture of the operation for her review.

"I'll be here tonight and check on Fletcher during the evening to make sure that no surprises pop up; I won't leave until mid-morning tomorrow after a turnover with the resident surgeon.

"You're not from here, Doctor?" Fletcher's mom asked, and Anne shook her head.

"No, Mrs. Benge, I live in Middleton, Colorado."

"Doctor, I didn't catch your name, the first time," Mr. Benge said as he stuck his hand out.

"My name is Anne Possible, Mr. Benge," and Becky stifled a shout, "and I just wish we could have met under better circumstances."

"Excuse me, Dr. Possible," and Anne turned to look at Becky.

"Pardon me for asking, but are you by any chance related to Jocelyn Possible?"

"Why, yes, I am. She's my niece," Anne replied. "I didn't get your name, miss…"

"I'm Becky, ma'am," and Becky stuck out her hand and shook Anne's.

"And, I'm Jennifer, Doctor Possible," Jen added. "I called Joss to tell her what had happened to Fletch, and she and Wade started to work, but I didn't know everything that was gonna happen," and she shook Anne's proffered hand.

"I'll tell Jocelyn that I met both of you, dears. Like Jennifer said: Jocelyn and Wade called me and let me know what happened to Fletcher," Anne added, and Becky was shocked.

"Joss…told you…and you came from Middleton?"

"Well, yes: Wade actually called me, and he set everything up with Global Justice for me to get here and with Billings Memorial for the pre-op work, so everything was ready when I landed."

"Can you clone Wade?" Jennifer asked, and Anne laughed, and Becky looked perplexed, wanting to be angry but couldn't generate the anger toward Jocelyn and Wade.

"Doctor, how can we ever thank you?" Mrs. Benge asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Send me Fletcher's graduation picture: that will be thanks enough," Anne replied with a smile.

"That, and pay the bill," Becky muttered under her breath, but Anne heard her.

"By the way, Mr. and Mrs. Benge? I thought you should know: your expenses have been taken care of, all the way thru your son's rehab, including my fee," and they both looked shocked.

"Who's paying for all of this, and for you?"

"A company called WadeLogistics LLC is footing the entire bill," she replied.

"Why?" and now they were really confused.

"The president and owner of the company told me to tell you this," and Anne smiled:

"Merry Christmas," and Anne stepped away to allow the family their privacy.

- - - - - - -

Kim's pattern, and Wade hit the mouse, and the monitors popped on to reveal-

"Hey, Wade."

"Hey, Kim. What's the sitch? Any news?"

"Patching Mom in, now…"

"Wade?" Anne's voice came thru the speakers.

"I'm here, and so is Joss," and he squeezed her hand, thinking positive thoughts. Joss held her breath.

"He's in recovery," Anne announced, and Joss nearly squeezed Wade's hand off and exhaled loudly.

"How bad was it?"

"He coded twice, but we got him back in less than 15 seconds, each time. The staff up her is excellent: Sharon could have done the procedure with this staff, if she'd been here. Sharon, Doctor Sharon Endicott, is the chief of neurosurgery here, by the way.

"Sharon's on her way back: she's coming into Denver now, and she'll be here before 10:00 tonight. I'll stay here tonight and check on him in the morning, then come back on Christmas Eve."

"Mrs. Dr. P, I owe you big time. I worked out the arrangements with the hospital like we talked about when you got there, but you never told me what your fee would be. You name the amount, and I'll write the check."

"Wade," she sounded hurt and produced the Possible Puppy-Dog Pout, "after all you've done for Kimmie, and just so it won't be a total freebie to you, make the check for $1,000.00, and I'll sign the check over to your favorite charity."

Genetics, again, and this time, from the source. He nodded his agreement, and Ann smiled.

"And, Wade? I've told you before, it's Anne: you don't want me to start calling you Dr. Load now, do you?" and Anne laughed.

"Anne," Wade smiled, and Joss was shocked, "I'm touched."

"You must be 'touched in the head' if you thought I was going to charge you for this, Wade," and Anne smiled, then she grinned. "You could get Ron to make me a couple of batches of "Wadeshine," and I'd call it even."

"HEY! NO SHINEE MY BOYFRIEND!" Joss mock-yelled, then grinned. "Thank you, Aunt Anne, 'seriously,'" and Kim and Anne both laughed along with Wade and Joss.

"Kimmie, no brain loaf for Christmas: I'm operating on the turkey this year, so call Ron and ask him to come over, all right?"

"Mom, I can do it."

"NOOOOO!" almost overloaded the speakers from every source, and Kim looked shocked and hurt.

"Kimmie, I love you," Anne added, "but I want to see our next Christmas: so, just like you're doing the 'save the world' and not me, I'll do the cooking and not you, all right, my little bub-"

"I get it, Mom!" Kim, by now, was laughing along with Joss and Wade. "Besides," Kim added, "I've got plans for Christmas Eve night," and she grinned.

"See you in the morning, Kimmie. Wade, I'll call your house if anything comes up tonight."

"I'll patch the phone to recognize the NPA code for Billings and route the call to me, Anne. Thank you."

"Thank you, Aunt Anne," Joss said again.

"Joss, Jen said something about cloning, and Becky and Fletcher's parents are ok, now; they'll call you in the morning," Anne added.

"Thanks, Aunt Anne," and Kim broke the connection.

"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU, Wade!" Joss grabbed Wade and hugged his neck.

"Is your friend all right?" Betty asked as she walked in.

"BETTY! THANKYOU!" and Joss attacked Betty's neck.

"I take it, then, that he's ok," Betty answered her own question, and Joss nodded, vigorously.

"He's in recovery," Wade replied, "and Anne's staying thru tomorrow morning to make sure nothing's wrong."

"Kim offered to cook," Wade continued, and Betty blanched, "but Anne closed that door quickly," and Betty smiled again. "Then, Kim said she had plans for Christmas Eve night," and Betty smiled inside, this time,

"I came by to find out how things were," and Joss smiled, "and to ask you if you had dinner plans. Slim and I are going out, Wade, and your parents are going out, but to a different restaurant."

"If it's all the same, Betty," Wade responded, "I'd just as soon have a pizza delivered and stay in: waiting makes a person tired, especially when they're this tense."

"Let me take care of that," Joss purred and got up to stand behind Wade, then started rubbing his shoulders. "It's the least I kin do for you, Wade," and she smiled wickedly inside as her hands artfully popped a knot in Wade's neck. Wade felt the knot pop, and he lost a pile of tension; or, was it a 'Load' of tension, he thought and grinned inside at his own pun.

"I'm definitely staying in, Betty," Wade grinned, then winced as Joss found another knot.

"We'll leave you two alone, then," Betty grinned and left, smiling and whistling.

"I should be the one rubbing your neck, Joss: you're the one who's been stressed," Wade grinned inside, and Joss grinned outside.

"My turn," she replied and sat down, and Wade started on Joss' neck. He popped a knot that caused her to moan, and Wade grinned.

"Not **even** in your dreams, big guy," Joss stated, and then grinned, 'not for awhile, my love Wade,' she thought as he continued to massage her neck and shoulders, and she relaxed even more, and she leaned forward onto the desk….

- - - - - - -

"Betty, we're finally alone," Slim whispered as they sat in a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant recommended by Ron. He leaned forward and kissed her, and their tongues danced inside of each other's mouths.

"God, how ah've missed that, and you, Elizabeth" he said when their mouths separated and they fell back in their chairs. Betty steeled herself for a conversation that she knew she needed answers to….

"Slim, I have a problem," Betty stated and leaned forward.

"What is it, 'Madam Librarian?'" Slim asked with a smile.

"Slim, I don't want to wait. I want you, now," and Slim leaned forward, smiling on the inside but keeping a serious face on the outside.

"Elizabeth, Ah thought you wanted to wait, just like Ah did."

"I know, Slim, but I have questions."

"Like what?"

"Like, do you want more children?" and Slim grinned inside. "I'm no spring chicken, Slim."

"- but you're one sexy summer chicken Librarian, Elizabeth, and Ah'm enjoyin' immensely the feather-watchin' and the tail-shakin'," Slim added, and Betty smiled and blushed.

'He's been checking me out,' she giggled to herself, 'all over,' and she grinned internally.

"Do you want to have a child, Elizabeth?"

"Part of me says yes," 'and I **know** that you want that particular part, Slim,' "and part of me says that it takes two to do that, Slim."

"Elizabeth, it may take two to produce a child, but it's never taken two to raise one."

"I know, Slim, but I'm old-fashioned," and she took a deep breath and continued:

"Besides, Slim, I don't know how you feel about me and my job."

"Elizabeth," Slim leaned closer, "'note the serious face:' Sheri Nicole took me to another country for her job; Ah would never make you quit Global Justice."

"I had hoped you felt that way, Slim," and Betty wiped tears out of her eyes, "but I know Sheri Nicole took you out of the country and you lost her, and I can't make you go thru that, again," and she smiled a wet smile.

"She didn' do that, Betty: her job didn' kill her, it was those yahoos that kilt her.

"Ah could never respect mahself if Ah forced you to give up your dreams, Elizabeth.

"Ah wouldn' be true to you or mahself if Ah did that," Slim finished, and Betty cheered inside.

"Elizabeth, I have something for you," and Slim dropped the accent and pulled out a necklace box and opened it on the table, facing Betty. "I saw this, and it called to me to bring it to you," and Betty gasped as she saw the most beautiful black pearl necklace that she'd ever seen.

Slim reached in and picked it up, standing as he did so, and walked behind Betty. She extended her neck, and Slim placed it on her, closing the clasp before he sat back down.

Betty fingered the necklace, feeling each of the tiny imperfections found only in natural pearls, not perfectly-formed in an artificial environment. "Slim, it's gorgeous! Why?"

"The necklace, and the pearls themselves, are **you**, Elizabeth: strong, beautiful and delicate, and rare beyond words," and Betty's heart melted as she leaned forward and kissed Slim again, and her tongue took command.

Slim wasn't complaining.

"Excuse me?" They separated mouths and looked up to see a grinning waitress. "Would you care to hear about our specials, or are you dining without the menu tonight?" and Betty blushed and Slim guffawed.

"Littl' lady, that line just earned you one big tip! Let's see the menus, and you tell us what's good for dinner here…besides her," and Slim pointed to Betty, and she blushed even more as the waitress laughed along with Slim.

"Well, sir, let's start with the appetizers," and she guided then through a spectacular dining experience and dessert.

- - - - - - -

"Rachel, look at this," Ryan whispered as he held up a note from Wade. Rachel took it and read:

'Mom and Dad:

'Can we go to the late night service tomorrow? I know it's been awhile since I went….Wade.'

"Look at them," he added as he pointed.

Joss and Wade were asleep in front of the monitor wall, all of the screens black except for three: one playing old Christmas movies, another with the status and last known locations of all of the supervillians, and the third had the readings from Billings Memorial of Fletcher Benge. Both of their heads were down on the desk, with little trails of drool coming out of one corner of each mouth.

Rachel giggled quietly, scribbled a 'yes' on the note and taped it to the inside of the door as they walked out.

"Ryan, should we trust them together?" Rachel asked after the door shut.

"By this time, dear, either we're way too late, or we can trust them," Ryan replied, and Rachel nodded.

- - - - - - -

Betty was singing to herself and dancing in her apartment bedroom, wearing her pearls with her negligee.

'How close did I come to losing him?' she asked herself, and shuddered.

'Betty, you should have had faith in your gut; you knew that Slim was a strong enough man not to be scared off by you commanding Global Justice, and you didn't believe yourself.

'Don't let that happen, again!' she told herself, and giggled.

'How does he do this to me? I haven't giggled since I was in the fifth grade, until Slim.'

'Sheri Nicole, dear lady, thank you. I've never been happier in my life!' and she twirled and sang to herself.

'I don't ever want to take these off….'

- - - - - - -

'One more box….' Slim thought just before he went to sleep.

- - - - - - -

"Book…" Joss mumbled in her sleep.

- - - - - - -

"Presents…." Wade mumbled in his sleep.

- - - - - - -

Their heads didn't move from the desktops until morning….

- - - - - - -

Author's afterward:

Presents are appearing, under the tree and around necks….and Betty and Kim are cooking up a surprise (it's figurative, not literal cooking from Kim, so no need for the HazMat team). Our next story begins on Christmas Eve morning in Middleton on December 24: next, in chapter 4 of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory - 12/24: O, Blessed Night….**

Thanks again for reading, and please review.


	4. Chapter 4 – O, Blessed Night

Blue Eyes, Shining 4: Paint Me a Christmas Memory

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time). This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

**A/N Forward: **

It's Christmas Eve, and miracles can happen….

Some presents have already been given, and some (but not all) are under the Load tree. Some people are waking up happy, and some are waking up scared, on December 24, Christmas Eve: next, in chapter 4 of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory – 12.24: O, Blessed Night…**

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

**Chapter 4 – 12/24: O, Blessed Night...**

- - - - - - -

**12/24**

Rachel thought she was dreaming, again.

They were cooking, again!

She smelled coffee, same as yesterday, but neither eggs nor bacon….

She reached over to shake Ryan and found an empty spot, again.

'They were serious,' she grinned inside as she rolled out of bed and padded to the shower again.

Rachel turned on the shower and let her nightgown drop to the floor, kicking it up and catching it in mid-air, again.

She did her morning bends: she bent over backward and touched the floor, then bent forward and did the same. 'So NOT the drama, girlfriend!' she thought, and giggled out loud.

She reached in, checked the water temperature, and stepped into the shower.

- - - - - - -

Betty knew she wasn't dreaming, this time…but she reached up and touched her neck to make sure….

'He really did!' and she felt the pearls that Slim had given her last night. "He gave me the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen!'

No cooking smell: she was back in her apartment. She pouted, grinned, and opened her eye.

She smelled coffee, just the way she liked it: Navy coffee, strong to put hair on a midshipwoman's elbows. It was her coffeepot: she remembered setting it up last night.

She longed for the smell of eggs and bacon grilling, habaneros and red onions and garlic chopped…

She longed for the smell of Slim Possible.

'That's it: I've got to propose to him if he won't move, even if it costs me him,' and she bounced out of bed and headed for her shower, carefully removing and kissing her pearls and placing them back in the box.

She did a quick shower, got out and dried herself, and went to the mirror and looked at her face, then scrunched it and grinned.

'You proceed, woman!' she decided as she put on her scant makeup, added her patch over the eye, powdered, and walked thru a spray of 'Obsessed!' and headed back to get dressed, stopping long enough to pour a cup of coffee and take a drink.

"GAACCCCKKKKK!" and she poured the contents of both her cup and the pot down the sink. Sadly, she got dressed: sad because she had no coffee, sad because she couldn't wear her pearls with her uniform, and sad because there was no Slim with her..

- - - - - - -

Joss woke up with a sore neck, and it felt wonderful. But her pillow was hard…and wet….

She opened one eye and saw Wade grinning back at her, drool spooled off the side of his face.

"Is that drool for me?" Joss asked, and laughed as Wade pulled his shirt up and wiped his face with a part of it.

"I should ask you the same question," was Wade's response, and Joss felt her face and found the drool spool. She grinned wickedly as she reached down to mirror Wade's wiping motion, and Wade panicked but calmed as she produced a tissue and dabbed her face.

Joss was feeling wicked this morning.

"Wade, I think we just slept together," she commented innocently, and Wade's eyes grew huge, then he grinned wickedly.

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?" Wade asked, and Joss sputtered and blushed.

"WADE!" and she took off after him; he had already figured out what her reaction would be, and he was already up and heading out the door when she processed his question.

She caught him in the hall, where he had stopped and waited for her, and she gave him a 'rock your world' kiss.

Wade responded, in kind.

Slim stuck his head out into the hall, saw the couple, and yelled, "Get a Room in 8 years!" and pulled his head back, laughing.

- - - - - - -

beep.

beep.

beep.

beep.

Now, a bit faster:

beep.

beep.

beep.

beep.

beep.

beep.

Becky was barely awake when she heard the beeps change their rhythm, and she looked up and saw her dream:

"Fletch!" and she stood and kissed his cheek, and his one unswollen eye shed a bit of a tear. His mother and father stood up and walked, almost ran, to the bed, each touching Fletcher's cheek and looking at the bandages on top of his head.

"mmMMMMmmmmmmMMMMMMM."

"You've got a tube down your throat, Fletch.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Fletcher nodded.

"Was it Carl?"

The beeps got faster, and a nurse walked in at that time.

beep.

beep.

beep.

"Ma'am, you shouldn't be in here," she said as she checked the lines and the connections on Fletcher.

"Nurse, please: he's my brother," Becky lied, and Fletcher's parents didn't correct her.

"Well….it's early, but OK," and she turned and opened the door, and a doctor and person in a suit with a badge on his belt came in the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Benge," and the doctor went thru the process and removed the tube from Fletcher's throat.

A second person with a badge came into the room, this one a blonde woman.

"Mr. Fletcher Benge?" the blonde woman spoke. "I'm Mel Claremore with Montana Department of Criminal Investigations, or DCI. With me is Agent Norman Mailin with the DEA. We'd like to ask you a few questions; if you'd like your lawyer present, we can wait. I have started audio recording of this discussion and will stop it in and when you request recording to cease.

"I….got….hurt…" he rasped, and pointed at Becky and his throat. She got him an ice chop and placed it in his mouth, and he looked noticeably relieved.

"We know you were attached, Mr. Benge. Do you want your lawyer present?" and Fletcher shook his head 'No.'

"There are witnesses present. Do you all concur that Mr. Benge answered 'No' to the question of having a lawyer present?

"I concur," the nurse stated.

"I agree," Becky stated, also.

"Very well. Were you injured before you entered that house?"

"No."

"Were you injured while you were inside the house?"

"Yes," he squeaked, and Becky hurt inside as she saw her boyfriend struggle to talk.

"Do you know who hurt you in the house, Mr. Benge?"

"Yes…Carl….Butler…and…two…others," and he noticeably slumped back, and the nurse checked the monitors.

"Gentlemen, that's all for now," the doctor stated. "You will have to come back tomorrow for more."

"We have enough for a start," Mel stated as Norman stopped the recording. "We have enough to begin a 'discussion' with Carl Butler.

"Thank you, Mr. Benge," and Mel and Norman left the room.

beep.

beep.

beep.

Betty kissed his cheek, and turned so he wouldn't see her tears.

beep.

beep.

beep.

- - - - - - -

Betty had gone to the office for a quick meeting and came home to change before going to her afternoon meeting with Kim and others.

Betty came into the front of the church choir room, and the choir director waved at her. She picked up her music and headed out to the sanctuary.

Kim was already out there, talking to one of the students from school that sang in the choir.

"Kim," Betty spoke, and Kim looked up with a big smile on her face.

"Betty!" and she ran over and hugged the Director of Global Justice.

"Thanks for giving me this chance," Kim added as she picked up a piece of music.

"Kim, Betty, thank you for agreeing to do this," the director came out along with the rest of the choir, who all went to seats in the loft and sat.

"Do either of you need to warm up?" and they both shook their heads.

"Very well. Ladies and Gentlemen, let's do a quick run-through of their piece, first. We wouldn't want to interfere with saving the world," and the choir chuckled and Kim blushed.

"Ready?" he took his podium, and the musicians were ready, and he started the rehearsal.

- - - - - - -

"Kim, that was beautiful," Betty told her as they walked out of the church after the rehearsal.

"Aw, Betty, it was 'No Big,'" Kim said, and Betty corrected her, again.

"Yes, it is Big, Kim. You're going to make several people very happy tonight.

"I know, Betty, I just wish I could do more," Kim groused as she got into her car. Betty leaned on Kim's driver-side door.

"Kim, we had this talk back on 9/11 this year. You can't do it all. You can, however, make Joss smile and have a good cry by helping her like you did yesterday in coordinating Wade's request to your mom.

"But, I didn't do much."

"You did all that you needed to do. And, you offered to pray for her friend: that meant more than everything else, Kim."

"If you say so, Betty," and Kim started her car and shifted into reverse.

"I do say so, Kim. See you tonight at 9:30 for warm-ups," and Betty backed away from the car door as Kim backed out.

'Like an angel,' Betty thought as she went to her car, and chuckled as she remembered Kim's first time as an angel in public and the disastrous results, at least from Kim's young perspective.

- - - - - - -

"MOM?"

Rachel stuck her head into Wade's room.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what, son?"

"You know," and he stepped out in a gray pinstripe suit jacket that fit him quite well. "You had all of my suits tailored. But, how?" and Rachel grinned.

"Battle suit fitting for Wade," and Rachel chuckled.

"MOM!" and Rachel walked away, whistling, having given her son a taste of his own medicine.

- - - - - - -

"Is everyone ready?" Rachel called, and Ryan was the first out.

"Honey, I want you back in our room if you look that good," Rachel grinned as she looked Ryan over.

He had a sharp blue almost-invisible pin-striped suit, a very pale yellow shirt, and a sharp blue-and-Grey tie.

"You're not half-bad yourself, Rachel," and he whistled approvingly as she twirled around, her dress flaring slightly. She wore a black halter dress with a full skirt, and she had a black-and-red shawl covering her shoulders and back.

"Did Jocelyn come out yet?" Slim came out wearing a western suit and bolo tie, hat in hand.

"Not yet, Slim. She's changing, again, she told me from behind her door," Wade came from her direction, his Grey pinstripe suit fitting him to a tee, and his white shirt was crisply starched to complement his red rep tie.

"Ah'm ready, y'all," and Joss stepped out and took Wade's breath away.

She wore a dark-green (almost black)-and-white kimono dress, and a pair of low heels with hose on her legs completed the package. She was carrying her long white coat over her arm.

'I love those legs, even better out of boots,' was Wade's thought, and then he had another.

BAD WADE!

BAM!

BAD WADE!

BAM!

BAD WADE!

BAM!

The virtual head-banging brought him back to his senses, and he noticed that, for the first time that he could remember, she was wearing a very light touch of makeup, some eye shadow and some lipstick.

'She is a vision,' he thought. "And, she picked me!" and he grinned inside. 'I wonder what that lipstick tastes like,' he grinned outside this time.

"Is this mah little gurl?" Slim's voice was just above a whisper, and Joss nodded.

"You're beautiful, Jocelyn," Slim stated, and she blushed.

"Thank you, Daddy," and Wade walked up to her and took her coat, holding it for her to put on. He then crooked his arm, and Joss took it.

"I'm ready," Wade announced.

- - - - - - -

"Wade!"

Two young men ran toward Wade and Joss, and they pulled up before slamming into the couple.

"Whoa, Wade, I heard you finally beat it, but nobody told me about her!" and he whistled.

"Jamie! How's it hangin'?"

"Obviously, not as good as you, my man.

"Pardon his manners, Miss: he gets like this all the time, and forgets his head. It's all of those brains," and Joss giggled.

"I'm Jamie Nolan," and the African-American young teen stuck out his hand.

"I'm Jocelyn Possible," Joss replied, and shook his hand.

"I should have known. Wade: she's lots prettier than Kim. How'd you luck out and find her, and does she have a sister or three?"

Joss giggled again, and Jamie feigned a swoon.

"I'm in love, Wade," and Jamie grinned, "You'd better keep your eyes on her and treat her right, or I'll take her home with me and worship her myself," and Wade laughed with and at his old friend from day care, years ago.

"Sorry, Jamie, she's definitely one of a kind, and she's my girlfriend," Wade smiled serenely, and Jamie pantomimed a knife into his heart.

"You're killing me, man," he replied.

"Later, Wade: I'll come over after Christmas, and we can talk. I've got Zombie Mayhem 6."

"I'm John Garcia Dean, Miss Possible," the other person finally was able to speak.

"Please ignore the ramblings of his untrained mind, Miss Possible," the young Hispanic teen told her as he stuck his hand out. "Mucho gusto."

"El gusto es mio," Joss replied, and John grinned.

"You've got a keeper, Wade," and John took her hand, kissed it, and ran off to catch Jamie.

"Spanish, Joss?" Wade asked.

"Two years, Wade, and a little Esperanto, also," Joss replied, "and Ah'm plannin' to take more Spanish and other languages, too.

"Old 'Wade posse' members?" Joss asked, and Wade grinned.

"From day care," he completed, and she grinned.

"Gee, Wade, Ah guess you and Kim do have somethin' in common," and he swatted at her rear as they moved closer to the church front door.

A woman in a long black cassock with a multi-colored stole was greeting people at the door, an her smile grew huge when she saw the Loads walk up.

"Dr. Load, Dr. Load, welcome. I see you have guests, and a very pleasant surprise!

"Hello, Dr. Load," and Shannon Callahan smiled as she shook Wade's hand.

"Hello, Shannon. I'm glad to be here," Wade smiled, and Shannon smiled back.

"Not as happy as I am to see you out, Wade. And, your young lady is…?"

"Jocelyn Possible, ma'am," and Joss smiled at the woman.

"Jocelyn, hello. I'm Shannon Callahan, senior pastor of this church.

"Shannon, this is Jocelyn's father, Slim Possible," and Shannon smiled.

"James' brother, I assume?"

"Why, yes ma'am. How'd you know?"

"Besides the last name and the red-headed daughters? The eyes: you both have your mother's eyes."

"Guilty as charged, ma'am," and Slim smiled.

"Slim!" Dr. James Timothy Possible came up with his lovely wife Dr. Anne Possible and their twin sons Jim and Tim Possible. Anne was radiant in a long tan winter coat and boots, and Jim and Tim were wrestling with their ties and suits. James had on a sharp navy-blue suit and a white shirt accented by a red tie.

"Squirt!" and Slim and James exchanged an appropriately manly hug, and the twins laughed, but stopped when their mother stared at them. Joss, watching the entire event, giggled, and that drew James' attention to her.

"Young lady," he stared at her for a moment, then smiled. "you look wonderful!" and James bent down a bit and hugged Joss.

"Thanks, Uncle Jim." Joss smiled as he pulled back.

"And, Wade: it's great to see you here," James shook his hand.

"It's good to be here," Wade agreed.

"Rachel, always a pleasure, and looking as lovely as ever," James added as he kissed her cheek.

"Rachel," and Anne went to her and hugged her.

"I told you your dream would come true," Anne whispered to Rachel, and Rachel nodded.

"Let's go in and get a good spot: I hear the choir has something special planned for tonight." And James led the way.

"Where's Kimmie?" Rachel asked.

"She had an emergency come up, but she said she'd be here tonight," Anne replied. "What about Betty?"

"She said the same thing," Slim answered, patting his coat pocket nervously. 'I sure hope so.'

- - - - - - -

Becky came back into Fletcher's room later in the evening after she'd been sent home by Fletcher's mom to grab a bite and get some sleep.

"How's my angel, Becky?" Fletcher asked as she closed the door.

"I'm fine, Fletch. How are you feeling?" she walked over to him, kissed his cheek, and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"Like I got beat up by an ugly group of jokers," Fletcher joked, then winced as a pain hit his chest, but it passed.

"Fletch, how's your head?"

"Hurts like hell, but fine. Why?"

"Did your mom tell you who did that operation?"

"Not specifically: she just said it was a lady doctor."

"That lady doctor was Anne Possible, Joss' aunt from Colorado, Fletch."

"Colorado? Why'd she have to come up here?"

"Jen called Joss, and Joss and her 'boyfriend,'" Becky still could not believe what had happened, "arranged for her to get flown up here by Global Justice and do the surgery. You know which 'boyfriend' I'm talking about, don't you?" she almost couldn't say the words, she was so angry and worried at the same time.

"Becky, amp it down. I apologized to Joss back in the fall after we dumped on her, and she accepted my apology. I'm sure glad I did," Fletch added, and winced as another twitch hit his chest, this one causing the beeps to increase and drawing a nurse.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"I'm fine; I just must'a twisted wrong in the bed," Fletch replied.

"I'll get the doctor to come and look at the readings," and she turned and left the room.

"You know what he is, Fletch, don't you?"

"Yea: he's the guy who got the woman up here to save my life, Becky.

"Let it go, Becky, please, for me. It's not worth your worry," and Fletch smiled, then winced as a tiny pain started in his chest, again, and moved to his arm. It went away, and he didn't worry about it.

- - - - - - -

"Tonight, we have some special visitors: Would all of our visitors please stand, and members greet them in love?" Shannon announced, and the visitors slowly stood and were greeted by church members around them. Jocelyn seemed to draw an inordinate number of young men her way to greet her, and she loved the attention.

Wade didn't jell: he knew where she was sitting: with him!

"Before we have tonight's featured musical work, I'd like to say a special welcome to a young man who literally risked his life to save us all earlier this year, and he's here with us tonight for the first time in a long time. Wade, would you please stand so we can properly thank you?" and Wade stood to thunderous applause that turned into a standing ovation.

Wade stood there, almost like a deer in the headlights, and Joss tugged on his coat to get his attention. That woke him, and he finally sat down as the applause continued, increasing when Joss leaned over and kissed his cheek, then gradually died out after over a minute or two.

"It's right that Wade's here, because someone asked to do something to thank him tonight," and Betty came out wearing a white choir robe.

'An angel,' were the thoughts of both Joss and Slim along with most of the rest of the congregation.

"Wade and Slim: this is for y'all," and the congregation tittered at Betty's western slang, and then the director moved to the podium.

The congregation grew quiet, and he pointed at the harpist and began to conduct the opening with her, alone, playing.

After the short opening, Betty began to sing:

- - - - - - -

(Betty):

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;  
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!  
- - - - - - -

beep.

beep.

Fletcher had one massive twitch in his chest, and his eyes rolled back into his head.

beep.

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Becky looked up suddenly when the beeps turned into a solid sound, and she screamed:

"Fletch, what's wrong? Fletch, talk to me!"

The nurse came running back in, yelling "He's flat-lined!" as she hits the panic button and she pushed Becky aside and shoved the bed-rail down and started to pump on Fletcher's chest. "Starting CPR!"

- - - - - - -

(Betty):

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,  
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.  
- - - - - - -

An aide came running in with the doctor.

"He's coding!" the doctor yelled. "Crash Cart: STAT! I'm taking over CPR: Get her out of here," the doctor commanded.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave," and the aide guided her out of the room and into Fletcher's parents, and then went back in.

"What happened, Becky?"

"I...dunno…they said something about crashing…." And Becky broke down in tears.

- - - - - - -

(Betty):

A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,  
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.  
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!  
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!  
O night, divine, O night, O night divine!

- - - - - - -

…and the orchestra continued an interlude, and all eyes were on Betty when a second person appeared:

Kim Possible, dressed just as Betty was dressed.

"Hicka-bicka-boo?" came out of Tim's mouth in a whisper.

"Hoo-SHA!" was Jim's answer.

"Boys!" Anne whisper-shouted, and they calmed down.

James was looking at his daughter, with a radiant look on her face and her hair seeming to float above the top of her robe.

Unbeknownst to the Possibles and the Loads, Ron had stepped around to the back of the sanctuary and was standing and watching Kim, a huge smile on his face. He'd been in the back room with here all along and had left it after she stepped out to wait for her vocal cue.

'I love you,' he mouthed to Kim when he caught her eye, and she smiled.

Betty stepped back, and then, Kim began to sing:

(Kim):

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,  
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.  
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,  
Here came the wise men from Orient land.  
- - - - - - -

"Paddles: charge to 50!" the doctor commanded after the cart had appeared and he'd cut Fletcher's gown open, revealing his chest.

- - - - - - -

(Kim):

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,  
- - - - - - -

"Clear!"

- - - - - - -

(Kim):

In all our trials born to be our Friend!  
- - - - - - -

Bzzzt! And the body jumps.

- - - - - - -

(Kim):

He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.  
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!  
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

- - - - - - -

"Again, charge to 50!

"Clear!

"Bzzzt! And the body jumps.

- - - - - - -

…and the orchestra played a slightly different interlude, and all eyes were on Kim as Betty stepped forward, and they shared the stage. They turned just a bit so that they could see each other, and they each smiled at the other. Betty sang the harmony while Kim took the lead.

- - - - - - -

(Kim and Betty):

Truly He taught us to love one another;  
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.  
- - - - - - -

Becky called out to the ceiling:

"Please don't take my boyfriend: I love him!" and she cried harder than she had ever in her life.

Fletcher's parents put their arms around her and cried their own tears for their son.

- - - - - - -

Charge to 100!

- - - - - - -

(Kim and Betty):

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother  
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.  
- - - - - - -

Clear!

Bzzzt! And the body jumps.

- - - - - - -

(Kim and Betty):

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,  
Let all within us praise His holy Name!  
- - - - - - -

Charge to 200!

Clear!

- - - - - - -

(Kim and Betty):

Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!  
His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!  
His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!

- - - - - - -

Bzzzt! And the body jumps.

- - - - - - -

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!  
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!  
O night, divine, O night, O night divine!

- - - - - - -

The solid tone changed:

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee beep.

beep.

beep.

beep.

beep.

"We've got a pulse!

"It's strong!

"Good work, people! Good job!"

- - - - - - -

The congregation stood en masse and applauded and cheered Betty and Kim

'How did she know that that was Sheri Nicole's favorite solo?' Slim asked as he stood and applauded and tears streamed down his face.

His tears were not alone, and the tears weren't limited to the Possibles and the Loads.

Shannon was standing behind the pulpit, looking for a tissue box, when one of the choir members got her attention and tossed her a tissue packet.

The choir director was trying to figure out how to get Kim to join his choir on a regular basis and look for his handkerchief at the same time he was applauding his soloists.

Ron Stoppable, at the back of the sanctuary, was loving the applause, for Kim.

'You hit the high notes tonight, baby,' he thought, and then a tiny squeak drew his attention.

Rufus was wet over his entire body, and he was begging for a tissue. Ron pulled one from his pocket and handed it to him, and Rufus blew his nose with a tiny loud 'honk!', then used the dry tissue to dry his tears off the rest of his body.

'Good little naked mole rat," Ron smiled as he produced a clean unused handkerchief and dried Rufus off.

"It's time, Rufus," and Ron patted his coat pocket, and Rufus gave him a tiny thumb's up and then blew his nose again.

'Momma2,' Joss thought as she continued to applaud, and Wade produced a clean handkerchief and started to dab at her tears, then did the same to his own face.

'Thank you,' Wade mouthed to Betty and Kim, and they smiled and mouthed back:

'No Big.'

And Wade had to call on all of his composure to not laugh out loud.

Kim looked to the back for Ron and caught his eye.

'I loved it, and I love you, Kimberly Ann Possible,' Ron mouthed and blew her a kiss.

'What is it with these Possible women?' was the thought that went thru the minds of both Jamie Nolan and John Garcia Dean, "and where can I get me one?"

- - - - - - -

"Becky, what's wrong?" Jen asked as she walked up onto a visibly shaken Becky.

"Jen," she started, and Becky fell into Jennifer, sobbing.

"He almost died, Jen," and Jen's grip on Becky tightened. "The doctor said that, for a period of time, he was dead, Jen.

"The doctor said that it was a miracle that he made it, Jen," and she broke down, again, and Jen held her and shed tears for Becky's boyfriend and the boyfriend that she knew she could never have because he belonged to her best friend, and tears of joy for Fletcher's life and for her best friend's happiness.

- - - - - - -

"Elizabeth, that was wonderful," Slim said as he finally was able to pull her away from the last of the well-wishers.

"Slim, I knew that was Sheri Nicole's favorite solo: who do you think taught it to her?" and Betty laughed as Slim had an 'ah-hah' moment.

"And, this is for you," and Betty pulled Slim to her and kissed him with passion, their tongues dancing again.

Joss turned the corner and saw Slim and Betty, and backed up quietly, running into Wade.

"Why didn't you keep going, Joss?" Wade asked.

"Construction," was Joss' verbal reply. 'Family construction,' was the rest of her thought, and she smiled and kissed Wade's cheek.

Then, Slim knew.

- - - - - - -

"Kim, you did it!" Ron ran up and hugged Kim outside of the choir room.

"Aww, Ron," and he didn't let her finish as he administered 'vertical CPR' on his BFGF.

Kim didn't complain, and she returned his affections, and their tongues danced.

Then, Ron knew.

- - - - - - -

"Elizabeth, you look like an angel, you sing like an angel," and Slim took her hands in his and kissed each of them. "We just figured all of this out a few days ago, and you've since told me that you didn't want to wait.

"Well, Elizabeth, I don't want to wait, either:" and Betty gasped, as Slim dropped to one knee, "and I want you to be my angel," and he opened the box that he'd been carrying inside his pocket, and turned it to face the tear-streaked face of Elizabeth Director.

- - - - - - -

"Kim, you look like an angel, you sing like an angel, and you have been my angel since Pre-K," Ron started, taking her hands in his and kissing each of them, and Kim smiled. "After the Diablos, after this summer, and after these past few weeks, I've realized that I could lose you at any moment, and I can't have that happen without you having heard these words from me, "and Ron dropped to one knee, and Rufus scampered out of the pocket carrying the box. "I want my angel, forever," he said with such passion that Kim gasped, and Ron opened the box that he'd been carrying inside his pocket and turned it to face the tear-streaked face of Kim Possible.

- - - - - - -

"Elizabeth, make me the happiest man in Middleton, let alone Montana and the rest of the planet."

- - - - - - -

"Kim, make me the happiest man in Middleton, let alone the rest of the planet."

- - - - - - -

"Elizabeth Director,"

- - - - - - -

"Kimberly Ann Possible,"

- - - - - - -

And, from one who'd been hurting for far too long a time, and from one who'd carried his torch for just as long, the same words came out of each of their mouths and at the same time, neither knowing what the other was about to say, not a great distance away:

- - - - - - -

"Will you marry me?"

- - - - - - -

Anne Possible felt her heart jump, and it was a good jump. She smiled, leaned over, and kissed her husband as they walked to the car.

"What was that for?" James asked with a smile on his face that hadn't left since Kimberly Ann's performance.

"Just because," Anne smiled, both outside and in.

- - - - - - -

The roses at ANC glowed a light blue for an instant, and then returned to their perfect state.

The roses that Ron had placed at Stephanie Watership's grave earlier that day glowed a light blue for an instant, and then returned to their perfect state.

- - - - - - -

Author's afterward:

Presents are appearing around necks and under the tree…and, likely, on fingers, as well.

They've both asked…and the gift-giving has barely started! Our next story begins on Christmas Eve night (no, I won't leave you with an evil cliffhanger for too long!): next, in the final chapter of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory - 12/24-25: New Christmas Memories ….**

Thanks again for reading, and please review.


	5. Chapter 5 – New Christmas Memories …

Blue Eyes, Shining 4: Paint Me a Christmas Memory

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time). This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

**A/N Forward: **

It's the Christmas season, and miracles can and do happen.

All presents that haven't been opened will be opened, and most, if not all, questions will be answered, on Christmas Eve night, December 24, and Christmas day: next, in this, the final chapter of **Paint Me a Christmas Memory – 12/24 and 25: New Christmas Memories ….**

Thanks again for reading, and please review.

**Chapter 5 – 12/24 and 25: New Christmas Memories ….**

- - - - - - -

**12/24 (evening)**

Kim pulled Ron to his feet and assaulted his lips and tongue, smashing her body into his for what seemed to Ron like hours but actually was only a few minutes.

She let him go, and the smiles on their faces were not like anything either of them had ever seen before from the other.

"So, I take it your answer is a "Possible" yes?" Ron grinned, and he was answered with another lip and tongue assault.

She let him go, again, and smiled a smile Ron had never seen from Kim before without the moodulator chip.

"Yes, my Ron, I will marry you," Kim replied softly, then took his hands in hers.

"You've put up with me for all these years, even when I've ignored you and abused your friendship, and you accepted my apologies for treating you like crap, and you gave me an afternoon at the bench like I'd never had before, and you gave Jocelyn so much love that you didn't have to give: Why, Ronald Dean Stoppable, would you ever even think that I might be so stupid to say 'no' to you?

"I've loved you since Pre-K; you were the only one of us smart enough to recognize it, but no more," and her voice had gotten even softer and gentler.

"I want you, Ron," she said softly as she brushed his lips, "to be my forever mate."

"And, by the way," she gave him the 'look,' "'there's still fireworks,'" and she pulled his face into hers and started the explosions again.

When they separated, Rufus came out, gave a thumbs-up to Ron, blew a kiss to Kim, and pronounced the engagement officially open with a tiny 'booyah!'

The couple hugged each other, neither fully realizing the impact on their lives that this simple step would have, but neither of them caring as they hugged, professing their love.

- - - - - - -

"Slim, if you hadn't done something in the next 48 hours, I was going to ask you," Betty stated as she pulled Slim to his feet and pulled him next to her, kissing him with such fervor that Slim's hat flew off.

"Yes, my 'band salesman,' I will marry you," Betty answered as they separated.

"And, before you ask, Elizabeth," Slim grinned, "Joss has already told me that you would make a great 'Momma2,' Elizabeth, so that answers that question. Yes, Jocelyn is ready for you: she was ready even before I was."

"That girl!" Betty laughed, and put her hands on the sides of Slim's face and pulled him to her lips.

"I love you, Slim Possible," and she kissed him sweetly, then released his face.

"And, I love you, the future Ms. Elizabeth Director Possible," Slim replied as he put his hands up to her face and pulled her lips to his.

"Really, I just wanted more breakfasts like the other day," Betty joked as they separated, and Slim laughed.

"How about in the mornin', 'Madam Librarian?'" Slim asked, and Betty nodded.

"Let me slip out of this choir robe," Betty replied, "and we can run to my apartment for a quick supply trip and then to Rachel and Ryan's."

"Over there?" Slim looked confused.

"Soundproofing in the interior and exterior adult bedroom walls," Betty explained, "Rachel told me," and Slim grew a huge smile.

"Besides," she smiled, "I need my pearls and a certain red negligee for you," and Slim grinned even more.

Betty looked at her hand.

"Slim, it's gorgeous," she whispered.

"Thank you," she said, and a tear escaped from her eye.

"I may have to buy that robe," Slim commented as Betty turned and walked away.

She stopped, turned, and asked "Why?"

"Too many good memories," and Betty laughed as she turned back and went to change.

- - - - - - -

Becky was confused.

On one hand, her boyfriend had told her to change what she'd been taught since she was little.

On the other hand, she still didn't understand why Joss would date one of them.

What confused her even more was that Joss knew how Becky felt, and she still did everything for Fletch that she did, including getting her 'boyfriend' to arrange everything and pay for it all.

'How could he afford to pay for all of this?' she wondered.

Taking advantage of us, she thought, but then she remembered the Diablos news stories:

The news had told about his actions with a Diablo in his house and bedroom, and how he stopped Drakken almost single-handedly by cutting the signal to the robots, rendering them harmless. She hadn't paid attention to most of the stories: after all, he was one of 'them.'

'Why would either of them do any of this?' she asked herself as she lay her head on the pillow that the nurse had brought her, and she scrunched herself into the chair and watched Fletcher as he slept, falling asleep herself after a restless time of thinking.

beep.

beep.

beep.

beep.

- - - - - - -

Ryan's cell went off, and he answered it.

"Ryan Load."

Silence.

"All right."

Silence.

"We'll see you at the house."

Silence.

"All right. 'Bye," and he cut the connection and started the car.

"What about Daddy?" Joss asked?

"He's getting a ride with Betty. He had to talk to her about something," Ryan replied, and Joss grinned and nudged Wade.

"He asked her, I bet," she mouthed.

"I sure hope so," Wade mouthed back.

"So do I, Wade," Rachel added, and Wade looked up to see his mom, smiling back at him.

"I'm a mother: I hear everything, even when you don't talk," she added sweetly as she turned back to face the front window.

Wade reached for Joss' hand without looking and got her leg instead, evoking a squeal from Joss.

"What is it, Joss?" Ryan asked.

"Nothing, Ryan," and she grinned at Wade and took his hand, kissing it and holding it in both of hers.

Wade sat quietly, thanking whatever guided his hand for not guiding it higher.

- - - - - - -

"Wow, I guess Santa came early," Ryan commented as they walked into the house and went to the living room.

There were twice as many presents under the tree than there were earlier in the afternoon, and some of them were HUGE!

"You two," Ryan looked at Joss and Wade, "need to get a good night's sleep; something tells me that tomorrow's going to be a busy day for you two," he added as he shooed them toward the bedrooms.

"Gee, Wade, can't we sleep together again like last night?" Joss asked sweetly, and Wade's head nearly exploded, and Ryan and Rachel laughed: they'd been in the room, and they'd seen the drool from each of their mouths on the desktop.

"Wade, you dog," Ryan joked, and Wade looked like he'd just been told that Shego was really a man.

"Relax, son, we were there, remember: we left you the note," and Wade's blood pressure dropped several points, and Joss' door slammed closed as she successfully escaped.

"What, no goodnight kiss?" Wade called, and a giggle came from behind the door.

"In a little bit, Wade; I'm changing," and Wade's mind warped, again.

"I'm going to my room, where it's safe," Wade announced, and his parents chuckled as he ran to his room and closed the door after he got in.

"He won't want to do that in the future," Ryan grinned, and Rachel reached for a pillow, and Ryan ducked his head out of reflex.

"Shall we go change?" Rachel asked, grinning.

"Not yet; Slim said that he needed to talk about something with us when he got here."

"That doesn't mean that we can's slip into something 'more comfortable,'" Rachel retorted, and Ryan had a sudden need for his pajamas.

- - - - - - -

"Slim!" Betty pushed his hand away from her rear as they approached the front door.

"Good for the goose," Slim replied as he removed her hand from his rear.

"But, that's different," as she turned the doorknob.

"How?" and he didn't get an answer as they walked into the house and heard Ryan and Rachel laughing in the living room.

"Rachel?" Betty called, and they walked into the room.

"So, what do you have to say about coming home after curfew, little missy?" Ryan played father, and Rachel laughed.

"Sorry, daddy," Betty replied in a little-girl voice, and Rachel shot out a laugh.

"We want to talk to you two about something," Slim sat on the couch, patted it, and Betty sat next to him.

"Uh-oh," Rachel mouthed to Ryan as she went to pour a couple of drinks for them.

"What's the topic, Slim?"

"This," and Betty held her hand out, and Rachel took only a moment before she let out a squeal, put the drinks down, and ran over to the sitting Betty to look at the ring.

Ryan smiled. "So, you finally asked her?"

"Yep," was Slim's grinning-like-an-idiot response.

"You are a man of great intellect and excellent taste in women, Slim. I salute you," and Ryan saluted with his glass and took a drink.

"Thank you, sir; as are you," and Slim smiled as Rachel handed him a drink before he asked for one. "I've been blessed twice in my life, and I never knew it until it slapped me in the face each time.

"Betty has honored me by agreeing to become my wife," and Betty's heart flipped: this was the first official announcement.

The doorbell rang.

Ryan got up to get the door, and came back with Ron and Kim.

"Look who I found wandering the neighborhood," he grinned.

Ron and Kim looked tired and worried. Kim was wearing her mission gloves, but not her mission gear. Rachel started thinking…

"Coolio: the brain trust! We need some advice," Ron stated, and Kim nodded.

Kim, allowing Ron to lead, and Rachel made a giant logic jump.

"Congratulations, Kim. Did he just ask you?" and Kim and Ron both blanched.

"How did you know?" Kim asked, almost crying.

"It's in the water, Kim," Betty responded with a grin and held up her hand, and Kim's tears dried up almost instantly, turning into a gigantic grin.

"BETTY!" and the two newly-engaged women hugged each other, and Ron and Slim exchanged high-fives.

It was Slim who broke the news to Kim.

"Kim, you realize that you have to be nice to Gemini, now, since he's now blood?" and Kim looked shocked as Slim unsuccessfully held back a laugh.

"Why?" Kim was confused.

"Because," Slim answered, seriously. "after Betty and I get married, he'll be an in-law outlaw," and Ron and Rufus fell on the floor, laughing, and Ryan and Rachel chuckled, and Betty grinned, and even Kim cracked a smile that disappeared quickly as she formed a frightening mental picture of Gemini at her wedding.

"Slim, I have to tell Mr. Dr. P that I've asked his daughter to marry me," he said after he picked himself up and sat back down, "and I don't want him to send either of us up in a black hole space probe."

"Ron, I wouldn't worry about Squirt," and Ron and Kim both looked surprised.

"Ron, Squirt knows you won't do anythin' to hurt his Kimmie-cub," and Slim grinned as Kim blushed, "and he trusts you with her life. So, believe me, he'll be an educator's summer reading assignments before school lets out for the year," Slim grinned.

"Which is…?"

"Lots of noise, and no pain because no one pays attention to the noise," and Slim grinned, and Kim breathed a deep sigh of relief.

- - - - - - -

"Oh, Wade?"

The PosComm popped on, but the view was obscured.

"Joss: what's wrong?"

"Nothing, love. Ah jus' wanted to say 'good night,'" and the picture appeared, and Wade's heart almost stopped as Joss showed him a glimpse of her nightgown; she was hiding behind the PosComm and had pulled just a piece of material in front of it: just a hint of pink shimmering material that she had hanging in the view.

"That's all you get, big boy, until in the morning, and I'm wearin' my robe over it," she whispered. "Good night, hero," and she cut the connection.

"oh, man," Wade said as he headed to the bathroom.

- - - - - - -

"Mah advice, Ron? Go over there right now and tell him.

"And, niece?" Kim looked up. "Go make your momma happy beyond words," and Kim's grin reappeared.

"When are y'all plannin' this shindig?"

"Why?"

"Ah jus' wondered if we needed to do a double wedding," and Kim blanched.

"Not unless you're waiting for four or five years, Slim," Ron replied, and both Kim and Betty breathed a sigh of relief.

"G'wan, git, go tell your daddy and momma they're gonna have gran'kids!" and Slim shooed a very red Kim and Ron out of the house, but not before they received hugs and kisses from Betty, Rachel, and Ryan.

"You're a good man, Ronald," Slim shook his hand, "and the best niece an uncle could have," he directed to Kim.

"Thank you for this week, coming to be with Joss in DC." Slim added with a catch in his voice, and Ron and Kim both replied:

"No big, Slim."

"Jinx! You owe me a soda; I'll collect at your wedding," and he shooed them to Kim's car and went back inside, closing the door.

"So, no double wedding, huh?" Betty grinned as Slim sat back down on the couch, and she decided to occupy his lap.

"Nope," and his mouth became otherwise occupied.

"We'll leave you two lovebirds alone. In the morning?"

"Hey! I want breakfast! It's in my contract!" Betty announced, and Rachel laughed.

"Better get that in writing, Betty," she advised.

"See you in the morning, y'all," and Slim went back to being occupied, and Ryan and Rachel headed down the hall to bed.

- - - - - - -

"Kimmie-cub, your singing was beautiful!" and James Possible hugged his daughter as she came in the door with Ron behind her, holding her re-gloved hands.

"Are you all right, Kimmie?" he asked as she went and sat on the couch, and Ron sat next to her. Her face was still frozen, without emotion.

"Daddy, I have something to tell you," and James sat in his chair and leaned forward.

Anne came up behind him and stood, waiting.

She took a deep breath, and told him: "Daddy, Ron asked me to marry him tonight, and I said yes."

James leaned back and started whistling, and Ron looked confused and worried.

"Mr. Dr. P, what are you whistling?"

"Oh, it's just something I came up with a few years ago:

"'…and you'll look sweet,

"upon the seat

"of a Black Hole Probe

"built for two.'" And Ron grinned for an instant.

"Ronald," James leaned forward and looked at Ron with his own 'serious face.'

"You've protected my daughter better than any father could dream of, and you've shown her more love and caring than anyone outside of this house, so why would you think that I'd want anything more than for you to marry my Kimmie-cub?" and James grinned, and Ron smiled, and Kim ran over and hugged her dad.

"Daddy! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" and she squeezed the first man in her life, and started the transfer.

"Kimmie, I thought that something might happen after you sang tonight: I could see love in your eyes, more than I'd ever seen before, more than at the prom," Anne said as she squeezed James' shoulder. "I guess Mother was right, again," she chuckled.

"Mr. Dr. P.," Ron stood and walked over to them, "I'll never do anything to betray your trust in me," he stated, and Anne came from behind the chair and hugged him.

"Welcome, officially, to the family, Ronald," she kissed his cheek as she released him.

"boo-yah."

- - - - - - -

"Sorry, Lucky, Christmas morning I won't be here: I'll be with my parents and my fiancée," Wade pulled his covers up as he got into bed.

Lucky swam up to the edge of the bowl, seemingly staring at Wade, then flicked his tail as he swam away.

Wade dreamed of pink and strawberry.

- - - - - - -

A bright shooting star crossed the skies over Montana and Middleton, Colorado.

- - - - - - -

**12/25**

Betty came to consciousness with the smell of coffee, again, and she opened her eye to her dream come true: Slim, holding a cup of coffee, and smiling in his cowboy hat.

"Merry Christmas, Elizabeth. Your coffee, madam," he grinned as he held the cup out for her to take, and she sat up and took it, the covers falling down into her lap. "Ah have to get dressed and go git breakfast started," and he turned and walked to the bathroom.

"By the way, Elizabeth," he said over his shoulder, "you were magnificent!" and he closed the bathroom door. but not before placing his hat on the dresser.

'Elizabeth, those buns are your best Christmas Present, ever!' she grinned as she lifted to coffee to her lips, still with a smile after last night.

She reached up and touched her neck found her pearls still there. She turned and looked at the nightstand, and her engagement ring was still there.

'Thank you, Sheri Nicole,' and she stood and put her robe on and waited for Slim to come out of the bathroom while she sipped her coffee and continued to smile.

- - - - - - -

Joss dreamed of, what else? Wade.

She woke up and sniffed: a hint of a coffee smell, and no breakfast yet.

'Snake muffins,' she thought, and then she woke up:

'It's Christmas!' and she jumped out of bed and headed for the door, then stopped and headed back for her robe and pink piggy slippers, sitting to slip on her slippers and putting the robe on as she went to the door.

"My first Christmas as the future Ms. Wade Load," she grinned as she opened her door and headed for the living room.

- - - - - - -

"Snake Muffins!" Joss whined as she walked up to the yellow-taped living room entry.

The same note was attached at intervals along the tape:

"Breakfast first, then presents. You have time for a shower if you want one, but soaking baths could cost you hot pecan pancakes…Ryan and Rachel Load."

"Well, Ah have time for a shower, then," and she trudged back to her bedroom.

"Wonder if he asked her?" she asked herself out loud as she closed her door.

- - - - - - -

"Got those pecans folded in, Wade?"

"Sure do, Dad. Griddle ready?"

"Check.," and Wade came over and handed his dad the third bowl of pancake mix.

"We have ladling," as the batter bounced as it hit the griddle.

"What, no bacon?" Slim asked as he entered the kitchen.

"It's a'waitin' for you, Slim," Ryan grinned as he pointed to the grill and the pile of waiting bacon. "Just got it out of the package in the 'fridge," Ryan added as he flipped pancakes.

"All-righty-then!" and Slim got to work, and soon the grill was sizzling.

'Slim looks extra happy; did he ask her?' Wade thought as he checked the coffee makers and headed for the 'fridge and juices, even while his mind was still on pink. He almost dropped the apple juice.

- - - - - - -

"Betty. You're glowing, dear; are you happy?" Rachel kidded her as they walked out of their rooms at almost the same time.

"Rachel: I'm reminded of a quote from a wonderful author that fits Slim to a tee," and she giggled at the extra pun.

"Rachel, Slim's not a member of the Klan," Rachel looked shocked, then grinned because she knew what was coming.

"…but he's a Wizard under the sheets," Betty concluded, and Rachel whooped with laughter.

"I take it, then, that you're not returning the ring, girlfriend?"

"HELL, NO! Sheri Nicole warned me, but I never dreamed I could hit the high notes like that!"

"And, now you know why we soundproofed this wing of the house, Betty: we didn't want to damage Wade for life," and Rachel smiled knowingly, and Betty looked at her for a moment, then whooped herself and grabbed Rachel.

"How did we get this lucky, Rachel?" she asked as they headed down the hall to the living room.

"I don't know about you, Betty, but I set mine up and reeled him in. I'll agree with you about one thing, though: we are two lucky broads," Rachel finished as they got to the tape.

"You like the kid repellent?" Rachel smiled sweetly, and she and Betty laughed as they turned and headed to the kitchen, hearing the sizzling and smelling the cooking.

- - - - - - -

Joss opened her door and smelled the bacon cooking.

"Yummy!" and she headed for the kitchen, the piggies on her feet more than a bit concerned.

- - - - - - -

"Merry Christmas, Mom, Betty," and Wade grabbed his mom and hugged her tightly. "Aren't you glad to see me in here this morning?"

"Wade, you have no idea," she grinned as she fought tears from re-forming.

Betty went and sat quickly, her hands slipping under the table for a moment, and then re-appearing as she drank from her coffee cup.

Joss came in after a few moments, and went over to her Dad.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy," she said with her head buried in his chest, and Slim looked down at the top of her head.

"No more Christmas nightmares, Daddy," she looked up at him and answered before he could ask, and he smiled and kissed her nose.

"Merry Christmas, Sweet Tea," and she walked over to Wade, who had already stopped dead in his tracks when she came into the kitchen.

'A vision in…Pig slippers?' he was able to stifle his laughs inside, but just barely.

"Merry Christmas, Wade," and she kissed him chastely on the lips. "I love you," she added.

"Merry Christmas, Jocelyn," and he returned the chaste kiss on the lips. "I love you, too," he added and grinned. "This little piggy?" and he pointed at her slippers.

"No dissie my piggies," she commanded, and he stopped immediately.

"Everybody sit: we have food," Ryan announced as he and Slim carried the overflowing platters of food to the table.

"Freshly-made pecan pancakes and turkey bacon, and real maple syrup and butter for the sides," Ryan announced as they placed the platters on the table and sat.

"We have so many blessings this year," Ryan stated as he held out his hands, and Rachel took one and held out her other. "Let's take a moment to thank Him silently for all of the gifts we're received," and they all joined hands and bowed their heads and thanked Him for everything that had happened this year.

- - - - - - -

'Some Christmas,' Becky thought as she woke up in the chair and looked over.

Fletcher was awake and smiling at her.

"I got my Christmas presents," he announced. "I'm alive, I have friends who can call and get BIG favors, and I have a beautiful girl who loves me far beyond anything I deserve," Fletch added. "I have been blessed this year," and Becky looked at him like he had four heads.

"What?"

"Becky, don't be a Grinch," he grinned. "I'm alive, and by many rights I shouldn't be, so 'put away your childish problems,' he quoted, and Becky grinned.

"…and embrace your fellow m-aaaaa-nnnnnn," she giggled.

"I never knew you liked 'Snowman Hank,' Fletch," she grinned as she pulled her chair closer to the bed.

"One of my faults, I suppose," he said sadly.

"That's 'a good thing,' Fletch," she said as she kissed his cheek, and he blushed.

"Merry Christmas, Fletcher Benge: I love you," and she leaned closer and kissed him on the lips, pushing her tongue into his mouth.

Fletcher Benge wasn't complaining in the least.

'Maybe my Grinch's heart can grow, even a little bit, this year,' he thought as he enjoyed her kiss.

"Mr. Benge," the nurse called him as she entered the room, and they separated to the chuckles of the nurse.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she checked the leads.

"Hungry," he proclaimed, and the nurse giggled.

'He shouldn't be alive, let alone awake this soon or hungry,' she thought as she looked at his chart, then she looked at the young man and the young lady with him.

'It must be Christmas,' she smiled inwardly as Becky kissed Fletch's nose, and he grinned, 'and love blooms at Christmas, even in Montana, with 23 inches of snow on the ground.'

- - - - - - -

"Hola, familia Possible!"

"Good morning, Ron!" Anne Possible came from in front of the stove and gave him a quick hug and an even quicker kiss on the cheek.

Ron blushed.

"Ron!" the Tweebs assaulted him as they came into the kitchen.

"Boys!" and they went to their seats, grousing.

"Good morning, Ronald!" James Possible came in in a cheery mood.

"Good morning, Mr. Dr. P!"

"Good morning, Ron," and Ron turned his head quickly and almost had whiplash.

Kim came running over and hugged his neck, then took his head in her hands and kissed him.

"Ooooo, Cooties!"

"Kim and Ronald, sittin' in a tree…."

"BOYS!" was the Father/Mother chorus, and Tweebs shrank back.

"Jim, Tim, I have some news for you," Ron said when Kim gave him his lips back and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Your sister has graciously agreed to become my wife, so I'm going to be your brother-in-law," Ron barely got the words out as Jim and Tim assaulted him with a double hug.

Kim was happy and worried.

Anne checked their necks: no moodulator chips.

"Did you have to chip her, Ron?"

"What else will those controls let you do, Ron"

"TWEEBS!"

"Let's go open presents," and Jim and Tim headed out of the kitchen, followed closely by a fuming Kim.

"They won't be gone long," James commented as he drank his coffee after he heard the front door open.

"Why, Mr. Dr. P?"

"Barefoot and snow and ice don't mix," he stated as the cries of pain came from outside.

- - - - - - -

"MOM! You promised! No more underwear!" Wade whined as he opened another package of underwear, and Joss giggled.

"Sorry, son, but I can't help it: it's a mother's responsibility to make sure that, if you're in an accident, you have clean underwear," and Joss couldn't hold the laugh in any longer.

"Good idea, Rachel," Betty pantomimed taking notes, and Joss got worried.

"Sweet Tea, I have a present for you, but it's not wrapped," Slim started.

'That's because you unwrapped me last night, lover,' Betty thought and grinned big.

"Elizabeth has graciously agreed to become my wife, Sweet Tea," Slim smiled as he took Betty's hand, and Joss screamed and slammed into Betty.

"MOMMA2!" She yelled as Slim's final demon died in a scream that was overshadowed by Joss' scream of joy.

'A mother-in-law battle-suit fitting,' Wade thought, and he wiped that thought out as he contemplated a Jocelyn battle-suit fitting.

BAD WADE!

WHAM!

He walked over and hugged Betty and whispered: "I heartily approve of this combination!" and Joss and Betty both laughed.

"This present is yours, Jocelyn," and Rachel pulled a huge square present over to her.

"Wha---for me?" she squealed with glee, and she started to pull the paper off.

"Oh, man," she groused as she found another layer of brown protective paper underneath the wrapping paper.

"Be careful," Rachel suggested, and Joss carefully pulled the paper off to reveal-

"Oh, my, goodness..." was her response.

"wow," was Betty's response.

"Mah goodness," was Slim's response.

'It's better than I dreamed,' was Wade's thought.

It was a picture of Joss sitting in a tailor position on a bench, with her father standing behind her with one hand on her shoulder, and behind Slim was Sheri Nicole as an angel, her wings spread to protect them.

"Rachel," Joss turned to her, tears streaming down her face. "It's beautiful," and she got up and went to Rachel and hugged her, both women now crying with joy.

"Thank you, Rachel," Joss said when she finally released Rachel's neck.

"'No Big,' Jocelyn: it's the least I could do for you giving me my Wade back," Rachel smiled, and Joss hugged her again.

"Wade, you've got a few presents to open," Rachel noted when she looked at the pile in front of him.

"I'm just so happy to be here with all of you and not in my room," Wade smiled as a tear escaped.

"So, I can take everything back?"

"NOOOO!" and he reached for a present.

"Open that one, Wade: it's from me," Joss suggested, and that was all the encouragement he needed.

"It's the picture," Wade said when he removed the paper cover. "Joss, this is yours: I can't take it from you; you love this picture."

"D'OI, Wade: haven't you heard of re-prints?" and Wade's embarrassment was hidden as everyone laughed.

"Joss, I can see why you like this picture," Betty grinned, and Slim pinched her.

"There's another one from me, right there, Wade," and she pointed to the thick package.

Wade attacked it like it was particle physics, and the package revealed a book.

"Open it, silly," she coaxed him, and he turned the cover and looked at the title page.

'What Love is,' by Andrea Jocelyn Possible.

Wade turned the page.

'This book is dedicated to the man who taught me what love is…Wade Load. Thank you, my love….AJP.'

Wade turned the page and saw himself getting out of the jet that first day: the picture was captioned 'A Dark Knight can be a Good Knight.'

"Joss, what did you do?" Wade looked up, with tears starting to form, and Joss was standing in front of him, her blue eyes, shining.

"Wade," she said softly, "Ah jus' wanted you to see what you did, and how you affected me, and Ah wanted you to have a copy of it to look at, whenever you wanted to," and she kissed his nose, "mah favorite chocolate dessert," she whispered and grinned wickedly.

"Thank you, my strawberry vision," Wade whispered, and he turned several pages.

"This must have taken you months to do, Joss," and she grinned.

"Considering the alternative of still having mah demons, Wade, this was truly 'no big,'" she replied, and he stood up and hugged her.

Rachel and Ryan looked at them, and they both thought:

'This will last.'

"Joss, you missed one, and it's from me" Wade pointed, and Joss squealed as she pulled the paper off of her last present.

"Wade, is this what I think it is?" she pulled the contents out and held it up.

"It's a training battle suit, Joss, and before you ask: no, it's not perfectly fitted. I told you that I wouldn't do that to you, love, no matter how tempting it was," Wade took a deep breath and waited.

"Wade, thank you," and she jumped up and ran over to him and kissed him as she pulled him up to standing in front of her.

"It's as close as I could get, based on the information that you gave me when I asked you about your clothes sizes," he grinned, and she swatted at him.

"Shame on you!" she grinned, and she went back to thanking him.

"Excuse me, can we get back to the presents?" Ryan asked.

"I am on my present, Ryan," Joss replied, and Slim and Betty decided to join the fest, and Ryan and Rachel decided not to be left out.

"Wade, you've got one more present, and I hope you like it," Rachel said when everyone finally decided to pay attention, and Rachel pointed to the last present remaining wrapped, as big as the picture that Joss unwrapped.

- - - - - - -

"Donna? It's for you," and Donna Jackson's husband handed her the phone.

"Donna?"

"Yes? Doctor Holt? Merry Christmas!"

"Donna, I got a call from the lab this morning, and I had to call you immediately," and Donna's knuckles turned white as she squeezed the phone.

"Donna, I don't know how it happened, but your cancer's gone. It's a miracle," and the phone fell from Donna's hand as she dropped her head, then looked up and mouthed 'Thank you.'

"Donna?

"Donna, are you still there?

"Donna?"

- - - - - - -

"Jennifer, what's wrong, honey?"

Jennifer lay on her bed in her room in the dark while her brothers and sisters yelled and screamed and ran around the house.

'And that's the older ones, too,' she frowned.

Her mother had come into the room, sat on the bed, and had asked her the question.

"Momma, I'm so confused," she stated, and her mother laughed.

"Honey, you're supposed to be confused: you're 14.

"What's confusing you?"

"Joss Possible," and her mother grimaced.

"What did that troublemaker do now?"

"MOM! That's so last year.

"Joss is in AP classes, on the JV cheer squad, and dating!"

"Someone you know?"

"Dr. Wade Load."

"MD, PhD, or Dentist?"

"MOM! He's the 'Wade' of Team Possible. You remember: he's the one who stopped the Diablos."

"Him?"

"Yes, Mom, and he's wonderful! I met him, and he's such a gentleman.

"Momma, why can't I find someone like him?" and Jen sat up and hugged her mother and started crying.

"Honey, you've got to stop looking at the bad boys," her mother stated for the n'th time, and this time Jen listened.

"There is that guy that wanted to date me last year, and I laughed at him…Maybe…" she mused, and her mother gave her a squeeze and handed her the phone and left the room.

She dialed his digits, and waited.

"Hello? May I speak to Stephen, please?"

Silence.

"Thank you."

Silence

"Hello, Stephen? It's Jennifer, from school."

Silence.

"Merry Christmas to you, too.

"Listen, Stephen, I owe you an apology."

Silence.

"Because I was a bitch to you last year, that's why, when you asked me out.

"I wanted to make it up to you. You wanna see a movie, or sump'n, during break?"

Silence.

"Great! How about later this week? I'll call you, 'k?"

Silence.

"No, thank you, Stephen; it's the least I could do after the way I treated you last year."

Silence.

"Thanks, Stephen. I really did think you were cute, but I had my head buried, ya'know?"

Silence, then a laugh.

"That's right, glass stomach deep."

Silence.

"Yeah, I'll call you, 'k? Thanks, Stephen," and she dropped the connection and got up and danced around the room.

"He thinks I'm pretty!"

"YIPPEE!"

"Stephen Michael Lopez, I'm gonna treat you right," Jennifer announced to her room, and heard no dissent.

- - - - - - -

"Like I told Jocelyn: Be careful," she advised, and he carefully removed the paper to reveal-

"Spankin'" was Joss's reaction.

"Wonderful, Rachel," and Ryan kissed his wife.

"incredible," was Betty's reaction.

"so fitting," was Slim's response.

"Mom," was all Wade could say.

The first redhead in the picture was in the back: her hair was styled in an early 90's hairdo, and she stood, calmly, as she looked forward. Her face was strong and beautiful, her smile warm and attractive, and she was shorter and more filled-out than the woman next to her, but her blue-green eyes shone in confidence and caring that they showed. The backpack on her back was worn, and she had two books under her right arm: JKG and John Milton.

The next redhead was in the middle, and the woman was also strong, wearing a battlesuit, her hair blowing in the storm, her hands balled up into fists. Her resolve shone through the look on her face, and she had a hint of a smile behind her green eyes. She appeared to be looking forward, as well.

The final redhead was also strong and younger than the others, wearing a long white coat and tall cognac-colored leather boots, carrying a bouquet of yellow and white roses, her resolve showing as her blue eyes showed strength and caring and love. She was looking forward, as well.

"Mom, how…?" Wade ran over to Rachel and hugged her neck, tears streaming down his face.

"Intense concentration, and lots of pictures, Wade," Rachel dead-panned, then squeezed her son.

"Merry Christmas, son."

"Merry Christmas, Mom.

"I love you, Mom."

"And, I love you, but you're still picking up all of the Christmas paper and taking it to the trash."

"Oh, man…."

- - - - - - -

The red, white, and yellow roses at ANC glowed a darker blue, and they remained that way for about 60 seconds and then returned to their perfect state.

The white and yellow roses that Ron had placed at Stephanie Watership's grave on Christmas Eve glowed a darker blue for about 2 minutes, and then returned to their perfect state.

The snow continued to fall in both locations, and the flowers laughed at the snow.

- - - - - - -

Author's afterward:

For all the Jade fans, this one's for you. Thank you for a wonderful year and wonderful reviews, and we're fueled for the upcoming year.

Thanks again for reading, and please review.


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